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: shower · firm · bank · capital · calf · club · current · hand

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. current — happening now
  3. club — for golf
  4. current — of water
  5. club — a group
  6. bank — of a river
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. hand — in cards
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. shower — rain
  12. capital — money
  13. capital — a city
  14. bank — for money
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. firm — a company
  17. bank — for money
  18. firm — steady
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. club — for dancing
  21. hand — help
  22. shower — to wash
  23. current — electric
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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