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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. net — in sport
  3. band — a ring
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. charge — a price
  6. charge — electricity
  7. squash — to crush
  8. file — a tool
  9. squash — the sport
  10. file — a line of people
  11. lie — to recline
  12. bulb — for light
  13. capital — money
  14. bulb — for light
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. charge — in control
  18. file — a document
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. net — for catching
  21. band — a music group
  22. net — after costs
  23. capital — a city
  24. bulb — of a plant

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