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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. capital — a city
  4. hand — in cards
  5. object — an aim
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. current — of water
  8. ball — a dance
  9. capital — money
  10. hand — help
  11. object — to protest
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. pop — to visit
  14. bass — the fish
  15. current — electric
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. pop — soda
  20. ball — a great time
  21. current — happening now
  22. bass — low music
  23. pop — music
  24. object — a thing

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