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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. capital — money
  5. craft — boats
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. bound — obliged
  8. craft — a skill
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wake — a trail
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. fine — high quality
  14. vault — a safe
  15. bound — certain
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. root — of a plant
  18. fine — all right
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. root — the cause
  21. root — of a word
  22. pitch — completely
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. bound — tied together

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