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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. capital — money
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. capital — a city
  5. season — of the year
  6. season — in sport
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. bark — to shout
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. band — a music group
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. lean — to bend
  14. band — a ring
  15. fork — in a road
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. lean — thin
  20. stock — shares
  21. stock — goods
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. fork — to eat with

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