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: fall · staff · cell · pitcher · calf · capital · root · wax

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. cell — in biology
  3. fall — the season
  4. fall — to drop
  5. wax — to grow
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. root — of a word
  9. root — of a plant
  10. staff — employees
  11. capital — a city
  12. root — the cause
  13. staff — employees
  14. fall — to drop
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. staff — a stick
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. cell — a phone
  22. capital — money
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. cell — in a prison

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