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 116 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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. capital — a city
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. chip — for betting
  5. field — farmland
  6. field — for sport
  7. field — a subject
  8. current — electric
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. vault — a safe
  12. current — of water
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. season — of the year
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. season — in sport
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. chip — to eat
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. current — happening now
  22. capital — money
  23. fine — high quality
  24. mouse — 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