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: wax · sharp · capital · stick · shower · board · charge · fall

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. board — to get on
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. fall — to drop
  6. sharp — clever
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. charge — a price
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. fall — the season
  12. shower — rain
  13. board — a committee
  14. charge — electricity
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. shower — to wash
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. capital — a city
  21. wax — to grow
  22. capital — money
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. charge — in control

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