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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. capital — a city
  3. rule — government
  4. file — a line of people
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bear — the animal
  9. rule — a law
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. drill — army training
  12. drill — a practice
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. drill — the tool
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bear — the animal
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. file — a document
  23. file — a tool
  24. pound — a weight

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