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: bear · current · chair · spring · cabinet · capital · board · roll

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. bear — the animal
  3. current — of water
  4. capital — a city
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. spring — a coil
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. spring — the season
  9. roll — a cake
  10. chair — a leader
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. board — to get on
  14. spring — of water
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. board — a committee
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. current — electric
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. roll — a list
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. current — happening now
  23. bear — the animal
  24. capital — a big letter

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