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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. current — of water
  6. shower — to wash
  7. capital — money
  8. chair — a leader
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. vault — a safe
  13. tube — a container
  14. pass — a permit
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. current — happening now
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. shower — rain
  23. current — electric
  24. tube — the underground

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