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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. squash — the sport
  3. craft — a skill
  4. capital — a city
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. face — part of the head
  7. bank — for money
  8. face — to confront
  9. bank — of a river
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. capital — money
  12. spell — letters
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. track — a song
  15. track — a path
  16. spell — a short time
  17. fork — in a road
  18. track — to keep track
  19. squash — to crush
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. craft — boats
  22. face — to point toward
  23. spell — magic
  24. bank — for money

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