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: jam · capital · bound · scale · root · pitch

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. root — of a word
  3. scale — size or range
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bound — certain
  7. capital — money
  8. capital — a city
  9. pitch — completely
  10. root — the cause
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. scale — in music
  14. root — of a plant
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. jam — in traffic

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