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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. capital — money
  3. drill — the tool
  4. press — to push
  5. drill — army training
  6. race — a contest
  7. press — newspapers
  8. can — a tin
  9. band — a ring
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. can — a tin
  12. cell — in biology
  13. cell — a phone
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. band — a music group
  16. bulb — for light
  17. race — the arms race
  18. bulb — for light
  19. drill — a practice
  20. press — a publisher
  21. race — humankind
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. can — to be able to

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