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: spell · cabinet · race · bass · board · capital · chest · rock

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. bass — low music
  5. chest — of your body
  6. spell — letters
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. capital — money
  9. race — a contest
  10. chest — a box
  11. spell — magic
  12. rock — music
  13. race — the arms race
  14. spell — a short time
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. bass — the fish
  17. rock — a stone
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. race — humankind
  20. chest — of your body
  21. board — to get on
  22. capital — a city
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. board — a committee

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