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 116 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: wave · firm · row · saw · capital · wax · snap · lie

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. firm — steady
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — to recline
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. capital — a city
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. saw — the tool
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. row — to paddle
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. capital — money
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. row — a line
  17. firm — a company
  18. firm — decided
  19. snap — to click
  20. saw — the tool
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. wax — to grow
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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