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 120 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: rash · suit · scale · charge · track · snap · capital · land

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. charge — a price
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. snap — to click
  6. charge — in control
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. suit — clothes
  10. capital — a city
  11. capital — money
  12. scale — in music
  13. charge — electricity
  14. scale — size or range
  15. rash — a series
  16. suit — to fit
  17. track — a path
  18. land — to come down
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. track — to keep track
  21. suit — in cards
  22. land — ground
  23. track — a song
  24. rash — hasty

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