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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. club — a group
  4. board — to get on
  5. net — after costs
  6. capital — a city
  7. club — for golf
  8. capital — money
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. net — in sport
  12. bore — to drill
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. club — for dancing
  15. net — for catching
  16. board — a committee
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. bore — to tire

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