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: nail · branch · spring · key · march · can · net · capital

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. capital — money
  3. capital — a city
  4. net — for catching
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. can — a tin
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. key — the most important part
  9. march — music
  10. branch — a division
  11. net — in sport
  12. key — for a lock
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. spring — the season
  15. net — after costs
  16. spring — of water
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. march — the month
  19. can — to be able to
  20. spring — a coil
  21. can — a tin
  22. key — in music
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. branch — of a tree

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