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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. band — a ring
  6. capital — a city
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. wake — a trail
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. plane — a tool
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. capital — money
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. band — a music group
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. bark — to shout
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. wake — before a funeral

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