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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. capital — a city
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. board — a committee
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. tube — the underground
  8. pop — soda
  9. capital — money
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. file — a document
  13. file — a tool
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. tube — a container
  16. pop — to visit
  17. pop — music
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. file — a line of people
  21. perch — the fish
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. board — to get on

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