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: charge · fine · safe · wave · capital · bat · band · march

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. march — the month
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. capital — a city
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. fine — all right
  8. charge — electricity
  9. charge — a price
  10. band — a ring
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. band — a music group
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. fine — high quality
  16. march — music
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bat — the animal
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. capital — money
  22. charge — in control
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. march — the month

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