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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. squash — to crush
  3. cap — of ice
  4. current — of water
  5. cap — a lid
  6. mine — for digging
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. cap — a hat
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. squash — the sport
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. capital — a city
  15. current — happening now
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. current — electric
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. bowl — to roll

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