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: can · track · capital · mate · toast · charge · fan · wax

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. wax — to grow
  4. can — a tin
  5. charge — electricity
  6. capital — money
  7. toast — bread
  8. track — a path
  9. capital — a city
  10. track — a song
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. can — to be able to
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. can — a tin
  16. mate — a partner
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. charge — a price
  20. track — to keep track
  21. charge — in control
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mate — a friend
  24. fan — to cool the air

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