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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. spell — a short time
  4. staff — employees
  5. capital — money
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. drill — a practice
  8. staff — a stick
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. staff — employees
  11. spell — letters
  12. drill — the tool
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. cell — a phone
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. drill — army training
  18. pop — music
  19. pop — soda
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. pop — to visit
  22. spell — magic
  23. capital — a city
  24. mouse — the animal

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