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: capital · ball · dip · kid · fine · mug · cap · clip

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. kid — child
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. fine — high quality
  5. kid — to tease
  6. mug — a face
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. ball — a dance
  9. cap — a hat
  10. capital — a city
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. capital — money
  13. clip — to cut
  14. mug — to rob
  15. ball — a great time
  16. mug — a cup
  17. clip — a video
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. dip — to sink
  20. clip — for paper
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. cap — a lid
  23. fine — all right
  24. cap — of ice

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