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 · row · ball · bear · spring · face · lash · capital

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. bear — the animal
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. capital — a city
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. row — to paddle
  7. charge — in control
  8. face — to confront
  9. ball — a dance
  10. face — to point toward
  11. spring — a coil
  12. ball — a great time
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. row — a line
  15. capital — money
  16. charge — electricity
  17. face — part of the head
  18. spring — of water
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. charge — a price
  21. bear — the animal
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. spring — the season
  24. bear — to put up with

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