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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  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. capital — a big letter
  2. rest — a break
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. rest — what's left
  7. clip — a video
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. rest — what's left
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. vault — a safe
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. clip — for paper
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. capital — a city
  22. clip — to cut
  23. fan — a supporter
  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