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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. capital — a city
  3. ball — a dance
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. rule — a law
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. spring — the season
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. rule — government
  13. capital — money
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. spring — a coil
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. spring — of water
  24. racket — for tennis

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