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 120 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: clip · wax · cell · march · firm · capital · sharp · suit

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — music
  3. suit — in cards
  4. sharp — clever
  5. march — the month
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. cell — in biology
  8. clip — for paper
  9. clip — to cut
  10. firm — a company
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. firm — steady
  13. firm — decided
  14. capital — a city
  15. wax — to grow
  16. clip — a video
  17. capital — money
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. suit — clothes
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. cell — a phone
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. suit — to fit

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