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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. cap — of ice
  3. board — a committee
  4. mark — a grade
  5. bound — certain
  6. board — to get on
  7. ball — a great time
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. ball — a dance
  10. bound — obliged
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. capital — money
  13. mark — a trace
  14. season — of the year
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. capital — a city
  17. cap — a hat
  18. bound — tied together
  19. scale — size or range
  20. cap — a lid
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. scale — in music
  23. season — in sport
  24. season — to add flavour

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