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: capital · track · vault · racket · mug · tube · squash · ball

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. squash — the sport
  4. ball — a dance
  5. capital — a city
  6. mug — a cup
  7. tube — the underground
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. squash — to crush
  10. tube — a container
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. vault — a safe
  14. ball — a great time
  15. track — a song
  16. capital — money
  17. mug — a face
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. mug — to rob
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. track — to keep track

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