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 124 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: bore · wax · fall · face · spell · root · capital · ball

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. fall — the season
  3. root — the cause
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. root — of a word
  6. spell — magic
  7. capital — money
  8. face — to confront
  9. spell — a short time
  10. bore — to tire
  11. spell — letters
  12. face — part of the head
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. capital — a city
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. ball — a dance
  19. face — to point toward
  20. ball — a great time
  21. wax — to grow
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. bore — to drill
  24. root — of a plant

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