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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. object — an aim
  3. net — in sport
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. swing — music
  6. swing — in golf
  7. net — after costs
  8. net — for catching
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. capital — a city
  11. ball — a great time
  12. object — a thing
  13. pop — music
  14. current — happening now
  15. swing — to play on
  16. pop — soda
  17. pop — to visit
  18. capital — money
  19. object — to protest
  20. date — the fruit
  21. current — of water
  22. current — electric
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. ball — a round shape

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