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: capital · bear · date · object · wave · hand · court · safe

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. capital — a city
  5. court — of a king
  6. bear — the animal
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. object — to protest
  9. hand — in cards
  10. date — the fruit
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. bear — the animal
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. court — for sport
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. capital — money
  17. object — an aim
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. court — of law
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. object — a thing
  24. date — on the calendar

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