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 · content · fall · ruler · branch · mine · can · band

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. fall — to drop
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. band — a ring
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. mine — for digging
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — a tin
  13. content — the amount
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. branch — a division
  16. can — to be able to
  17. content — happy
  18. capital — a city
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — the season
  23. capital — money
  24. branch — of a bank

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