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 · pop · bass · rest · wake · bank · scale · shower

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. scale — in music
  4. capital — money
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. rest — what's left
  7. wake — a trail
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. bank — for money
  10. rest — what's left
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. bass — the fish
  13. shower — to wash
  14. scale — size or range
  15. pop — soda
  16. pop — to visit
  17. bank — for money
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. capital — a city
  20. bass — low music
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. pop — music
  23. bank — of a river
  24. shower — rain

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