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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. cap — a hat
  4. capital — a city
  5. current — happening now
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. cap — a lid
  9. capital — money
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. bulb — for light
  12. squash — to crush
  13. bulb — for light
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. cap — of ice
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. current — of water
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. squash — the sport
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. current — electric
  24. safe — out of danger

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