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: wax · bank · capital · coach · wind · mug · chip · mark

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. chip — to eat
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. mark — a trace
  6. bank — for money
  7. wind — moving air
  8. chip — for betting
  9. bank — for money
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. mug — to rob
  12. wax — to grow
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bank — of a river
  15. mug — a face
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. mug — a cup
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. capital — a city
  23. capital — money
  24. chip — in a computer

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