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 124 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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. capital — money
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. capital — a city
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. row — to paddle
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. row — a line
  11. key — the most important part
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. branch — a division
  15. key — for a lock
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. shower — to wash
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. key — in music
  22. shower — rain
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. wave — with your hand

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