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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. capital — a city
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. march — the month
  5. drill — a practice
  6. bank — for money
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. march — music
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. capital — money
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. wake — a trail
  14. march — the month
  15. plane — a tool
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bank — of a river
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. bank — for money
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. drill — army training
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. drill — the tool

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