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 · jam · pound · season · staff · scale · leaves · wake

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. staff — employees
  4. season — in sport
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. scale — size or range
  7. capital — money
  8. capital — a city
  9. pound — a weight
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — a stick
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. season — of the year
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. wake — a trail
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. pound — for dogs

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