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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. key — the most important part
  3. wake — a trail
  4. bound — tied together
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. band — a music group
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. staff — a stick
  13. bound — certain
  14. scale — in music
  15. staff — employees
  16. bound — obliged
  17. scale — size or range
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. key — in music
  20. capital — money
  21. key — for a lock
  22. band — a ring
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. staff — employees

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