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: snap · fan · deal · jam · wax · capital · bay · rule

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. capital — a city
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. snap — to click
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. capital — money
  15. rule — a law
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. deal — to handle
  19. wax — to grow
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. rule — government
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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