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 was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. band — a ring
  8. bank — for money
  9. capital — money
  10. cap — of ice
  11. capital — a city
  12. bank — of a river
  13. band — a music group
  14. cap — a hat
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. cap — a lid
  18. cell — in biology
  19. cell — a phone
  20. ball — a great time
  21. bank — for money
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. ball — a dance
  24. wind — moving air

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