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 120 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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. capital — a city
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. mug — to rob
  5. band — a music group
  6. band — a ring
  7. shower — rain
  8. content — the amount
  9. capital — money
  10. mug — a face
  11. pass — a permit
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. content — happy
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. squash — to crush
  16. mug — a cup
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. squash — the sport
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. shower — to wash
  24. content — videos and posts

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