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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. scale — in music
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. scale — size or range
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. band — a music group
  13. band — a ring
  14. capital — money
  15. march — the month
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. plane — a tool
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. march — music
  20. capital — a city
  21. bark — to shout
  22. march — the month
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. scale — for weighing

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