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: nail · capital · row · spring · mouse · suit · pitcher · fine

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. row — to paddle
  4. capital — money
  5. spring — a coil
  6. spring — of water
  7. suit — clothes
  8. fine — all right
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. suit — to fit
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. suit — in cards
  16. spring — the season
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. fine — high quality
  21. row — a line
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. fine — a penalty

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