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: press · capital · cap · fan · suit · deal

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. suit — in cards
  3. cap — a hat
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. capital — a city
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. press — a publisher
  10. cap — a lid
  11. suit — clothes
  12. cap — of ice
  13. capital — money
  14. deal — to handle
  15. suit — to fit
  16. press — to push
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. press — newspapers

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