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: cap · stick · ground · sharp · squash · wound · fine · wax

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. ground — a position
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. cap — a lid
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. cap — of ice
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. ground — crushed
  14. ground — the earth
  15. squash — to crush
  16. fine — high quality
  17. sharp — clever
  18. wound — an injury
  19. squash — the sport
  20. wound — an injury
  21. cap — a hat
  22. wax — to grow
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. squash — the vegetable

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