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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. firm — a company
  4. pit — in a race
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. capital — money
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. ball — a dance
  10. firm — decided
  11. firm — steady
  12. ball — a great time
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. pit — a hole
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. mine — for digging
  22. branch — a division
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. branch — of a tree

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