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: kid · capital · pitcher · cabinet · rush · wax · temple · racket

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. kid — to tease
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. kid — child
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. capital — money
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. rush — hurry
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. capital — a city
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. wax — to grow
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. temple — a place of worship

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