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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. ball — a dance
  3. land — ground
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. fine — all right
  6. craft — boats
  7. shower — rain
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. race — the arms race
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. fine — high quality
  13. capital — a city
  14. capital — money
  15. craft — a skill
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. race — a contest
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. race — humankind
  20. land — to come down
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. shower — to wash
  23. land — a country
  24. ball — a great time

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