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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. roll — a cake
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. cue — a hint
  6. object — to protest
  7. cue — a signal
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. spell — a short time
  10. rock — music
  11. spell — magic
  12. object — an aim
  13. spell — letters
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. roll — a list
  17. cue — for pool
  18. court — for sport
  19. court — of a king
  20. object — a thing
  21. capital — a city
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. court — of law

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