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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. last — final
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. band — a ring
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. cap — of ice
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. cap — a hat
  13. capital — a city
  14. capital — money
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — to trim
  17. cap — a lid
  18. band — a music group
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. last — to go on
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. last — finally
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. bowl — a dish

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