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 refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. capital — money
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. drill — a practice
  5. object — an aim
  6. rule — a law
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. object — to protest
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. mug — to rob
  12. drill — army training
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. rule — government
  15. bark — to shout
  16. object — a thing
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. capital — a city
  19. drill — the tool
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. mine — for digging
  22. mug — a face
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. fan — a supporter

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