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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. bank — for money
  3. capital — a city
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. can — a tin
  6. bank — of a river
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. field — for sport
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. can — a tin
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bank — for money
  16. capital — money
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. field — farmland
  19. can — to be able to
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. pound — a weight
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. field — a subject
  24. deal — a big deal

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