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 120 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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. capital — a city
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. pop — music
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. pop — soda
  11. pop — to visit
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. deal — to handle
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. scale — size or range
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. capital — money
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. scale — in music

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