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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  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. bat — the animal
  3. cap — a lid
  4. capital — a city
  5. rash — a series
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. tube — the underground
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bore — to drill
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. cap — a hat
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. cap — of ice
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. rash — hasty
  23. tube — a container
  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