ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wax · ball · stem · chest · ruler · fine · firm · capital

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. chest — of your body
  4. capital — a city
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. stem — to come from
  8. ball — a dance
  9. chest — a box
  10. firm — decided
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. chest — of your body
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. capital — money
  15. firm — a company
  16. fine — all right
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. wax — to grow
  19. firm — steady
  20. fine — high quality
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. ball — a great time

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com