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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. capital — a city
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. charge — in control
  5. charge — a price
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. cap — a lid
  12. charge — electricity
  13. capital — money
  14. lean — to bend
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. cap — of ice
  17. wake — a trail
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. fine — high quality
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. cap — a hat
  23. lean — thin
  24. bowl — a football final

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