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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. capital — money
  3. capital — a city
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. pop — music
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. kid — to tease
  10. club — for dancing
  11. kid — child
  12. pop — to visit
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. firm — decided
  15. club — for golf
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. club — a group
  19. branch — a division
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. pop — soda
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. firm — a company
  24. safe — out of danger

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