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: bank · band · pop · capital · ground · pitch · jam · ruler

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. pop — music
  6. ground — a position
  7. band — a music group
  8. band — a ring
  9. ground — crushed
  10. ground — the earth
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. pop — to visit
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bank — for money
  15. capital — a city
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. capital — money
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. pitch — completely
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bank — for money
  24. pop — soda

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