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 116 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 · clip · perch · craft · cap · stock

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. cap — a lid
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. stock — shares
  5. cap — a hat
  6. clip — a video
  7. stock — goods
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. capital — money
  10. clip — for paper
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. clip — to cut
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. capital — a city
  16. craft — a skill
  17. perch — the fish
  18. craft — boats

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