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

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. drill — the tool
  3. capital — a city
  4. drill — army training
  5. net — after costs
  6. pass — a permit
  7. can — a tin
  8. chip — for betting
  9. rash — hasty
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. chip — to eat
  13. shower — rain
  14. shower — to wash
  15. capital — money
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. net — in sport
  18. can — to be able to
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. rash — a series
  22. drill — a practice
  23. can — a tin
  24. rash — on the skin

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