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 · safe · capital · bore · root · kid · squash · lash

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. capital — a city
  3. kid — child
  4. capital — money
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. root — the cause
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. kid — to tease
  15. bore — to drill
  16. squash — the sport
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. root — of a plant
  21. root — of a word
  22. squash — to crush
  23. bore — to tire
  24. wax — to grow

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