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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. capital — money
  3. season — of the year
  4. fork — in a road
  5. board — a committee
  6. season — in sport
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. cap — of ice
  9. cap — a lid
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. current — of water
  13. current — happening now
  14. deal — to handle
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. branch — a division
  20. current — electric
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. capital — a city
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. board — to get on

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