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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. shower — rain
  3. key — the most important part
  4. shower — to wash
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. fine — high quality
  7. key — for a lock
  8. key — in music
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. deal — to handle
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bass — low music
  15. capital — money
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. bass — the fish
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. capital — a city
  22. fine — all right
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. sharp — clever

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