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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. capital — a city
  3. spring — of water
  4. spring — a coil
  5. fork — in a road
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. mug — to rob
  8. spring — the season
  9. firm — a company
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. wake — a trail
  12. tube — a container
  13. mug — a cup
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. firm — decided
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. mug — a face
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. tube — the underground
  22. firm — steady
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. fork — to eat with

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