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 116 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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. object — to protest
  5. band — a ring
  6. root — of a plant
  7. file — a tool
  8. file — a line of people
  9. cap — a lid
  10. root — the cause
  11. object — a thing
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. file — a document
  14. band — a music group
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. snap — to click
  17. object — an aim
  18. cap — a hat
  19. capital — a city
  20. cap — of ice
  21. root — of a word
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. capital — a big letter

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