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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. capital — a city
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. squash — to crush
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. charge — a price
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. vault — a safe
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. bass — low music
  17. foot — a measure
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bass — the fish
  20. charge — electricity
  21. squash — the sport
  22. capital — money
  23. charge — in control
  24. foot — part of the body

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