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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. capital — a city
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. ball — a great time
  5. can — a tin
  6. chip — for betting
  7. capital — money
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. bore — to tire
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. ball — a dance
  14. spring — the season
  15. chip — to eat
  16. can — to be able to
  17. spring — of water
  18. can — a tin
  19. file — a tool
  20. branch — a division
  21. file — a line of people
  22. bore — to drill
  23. file — a document
  24. bore — gave birth

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