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: chip · racket · roll · current · suit · spell · rush · capital

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. spell — letters
  3. current — of water
  4. rush — hurry
  5. current — electric
  6. spell — a short time
  7. current — happening now
  8. spell — magic
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. capital — money
  11. roll — a cake
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. chip — to eat
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. chip — for betting
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. suit — clothes
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. suit — in cards
  21. suit — to fit
  22. roll — a list
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. rush — a thrill

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