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 116 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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. capital — money
  5. wound — an injury
  6. game — wild animals
  7. degree — temperature
  8. tube — a container
  9. scale — in music
  10. tube — the underground
  11. capital — a city
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. degree — from a university
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. wound — an injury
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. degree — an amount
  24. game — a match

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