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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. capital — a city
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. mug — to rob
  7. capital — money
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. bank — for money
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. band — a music group
  12. bank — for money
  13. mug — a cup
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. vault — a safe
  17. press — to push
  18. mug — a face
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. press — newspapers
  21. fork — in a road
  22. bank — of a river
  23. press — a publisher
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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