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: rest · pop · season · arm · spell · board · capital · fine

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. season — of the year
  4. season — in sport
  5. fine — all right
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. rest — a break
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. rest — what's left
  10. capital — money
  11. capital — a city
  12. pop — soda
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. spell — letters
  15. board — to get on
  16. fine — high quality
  17. rest — what's left
  18. pop — to visit
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. board — a committee
  21. spell — a short time
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. spell — magic
  24. arm — part of the body

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