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 116 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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. suit — clothes
  3. can — a tin
  4. suit — in cards
  5. can — a tin
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — employees
  8. net — in sport
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. capital — money
  11. net — for catching
  12. rock — a stone
  13. suit — to fit
  14. court — of law
  15. march — the month
  16. staff — a stick
  17. court — for sport
  18. net — after costs
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. rock — music
  21. court — of a king
  22. can — to be able to
  23. march — the month
  24. march — music

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