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 · staff · toast · rush · kid · plane · wake · drill

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. drill — a practice
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. wake — a trail
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. staff — a stick
  7. drill — the tool
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. kid — to tease
  10. capital — money
  11. drill — army training
  12. capital — a city
  13. toast — bread
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. staff — employees
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. rush — hurry
  19. plane — a tool
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. staff — employees
  24. kid — child

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