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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. march — the month
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rock — music
  6. can — a tin
  7. march — music
  8. march — the month
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. can — to be able to
  11. charge — in control
  12. capital — money
  13. charge — a price
  14. file — a tool
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. can — a tin
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. file — a line of people
  19. file — a document
  20. key — for a lock
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. charge — electricity
  23. key — in music
  24. capital — a city

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