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: present · spell · capital · wax · ground · stem · patient · lean

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. present — the time now
  5. present — there
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. spell — magic
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. wax — to grow
  10. ground — the earth
  11. stem — to come from
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. lean — thin
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. present — a gift
  17. ground — a position
  18. spell — letters
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. capital — a city
  21. ground — crushed
  22. spell — a short time
  23. lean — to bend
  24. capital — a big letter

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