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: capital · ball · race · ruler · safe · band

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. band — a music group
  4. race — a contest
  5. capital — a city
  6. ball — a great time
  7. race — humankind
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. ball — a dance
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. capital — money
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. race — the arms race
  16. band — a ring
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. ruler — for measuring

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