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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. capital — a city
  3. toast — bread
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. scale — size or range
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. rock — a stone
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. board — to get on
  14. board — a committee
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. rock — music
  19. wake — a trail
  20. scale — in music
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. capital — money
  24. bat — the animal

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