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 · mine · drill · bay · wave · patient · rule · spell

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. rule — government
  3. drill — army training
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. rule — a law
  6. spell — magic
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. drill — a practice
  13. spell — letters
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. capital — a city
  16. capital — money
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. mine — for digging
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. drill — the tool

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