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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. cap — a lid
  3. fine — high quality
  4. bank — for money
  5. cap — a hat
  6. fine — all right
  7. bank — of a river
  8. capital — a city
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pit — a hole
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. wind — moving air
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. cap — of ice
  16. row — a line
  17. wind — moving air
  18. pit — in a race
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. row — to paddle
  24. capital — 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