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

Word bank: capital · mate · mark · fork · club · rule

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. mark — a trace
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. rule — government
  7. club — for golf
  8. mate — to breed
  9. capital — a city
  10. mate — a friend
  11. rule — a law
  12. club — for dancing
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mark — a grade
  15. fork — in a road
  16. capital — money
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. club — a group

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