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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. cell — a phone
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. cell — in biology
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. chest — a box
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. suit — to fit
  11. fork — in a road
  12. chest — of your body
  13. scale — in music
  14. capital — a city
  15. suit — in cards
  16. suit — clothes
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. scale — size or range
  19. chest — of your body
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. vault — a safe
  23. wake — a trail
  24. capital — a big letter

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