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: suit · mouse · saw · capital · current · cold · cabinet · game

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. capital — money
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. suit — clothes
  5. cold — not warm
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. current — happening now
  8. cold — an illness
  9. game — wild animals
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. saw — the tool
  13. suit — in cards
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. game — a match
  20. current — electric
  21. saw — the tool
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. current — of water
  24. suit — to fit

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