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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. tube — a container
  3. capital — a city
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. craft — a skill
  6. current — electric
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. march — the month
  10. current — happening now
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. march — music
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. season — of the year
  15. craft — boats
  16. capital — money
  17. current — of water
  18. tube — the underground
  19. vault — a safe
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. march — the month
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. season — in sport

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