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 124 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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. cap — a lid
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. branch — a division
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cap — of ice
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. capital — money
  12. net — in sport
  13. court — for sport
  14. net — after costs
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. net — for catching
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. plane — a tool
  22. court — of a king
  23. court — of law
  24. capital — a city

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