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: staff · cap · rule · straw · capital · bay

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. capital — money
  3. staff — employees
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. rule — government
  8. rule — a law
  9. capital — a city
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. cap — of ice
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. cap — a lid
  15. staff — employees
  16. cap — a hat
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. staff — a stick

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