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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: staff · band · rule · fall · capital · bear

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. capital — money
  3. fall — to drop
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. staff — employees
  6. capital — a city
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. rule — government
  9. fall — the season
  10. bear — the animal
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. band — a ring
  13. staff — a stick
  14. staff — employees
  15. fall — to drop
  16. band — a music group
  17. bear — the animal
  18. capital — a big letter

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