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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. pass — a permit
  3. rock — music
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. field — for sport
  8. rock — a stone
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. chip — to eat
  12. bank — of a river
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. bank — for money
  15. game — wild animals
  16. wax — to grow
  17. capital — a city
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. bank — for money
  21. field — farmland
  22. field — a subject
  23. chip — for betting
  24. game — a match

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