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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. march — music
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. capital — money
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. march — the month
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. rash — a series
  11. chip — for betting
  12. club — for dancing
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. rash — hasty
  15. club — for golf
  16. race — the arms race
  17. chip — to eat
  18. race — humankind
  19. march — the month
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. club — a group
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. race — a contest

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