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 · shower · current · mark · vault · chest · wake · pound

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. pound — a weight
  3. capital — money
  4. chest — a box
  5. mark — a grade
  6. shower — to wash
  7. shower — rain
  8. current — electric
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. chest — of your body
  11. current — happening now
  12. wake — a trail
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. vault — a safe
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. current — of water
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. chest — of your body
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. capital — a city
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. mark — to pay attention

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