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: bat · fan · capital · rule · coach · march · safe · drill

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. march — music
  5. drill — army training
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. drill — the tool
  8. rule — a law
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. rule — government
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. march — the month
  15. capital — a city
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. march — the month
  19. capital — money
  20. drill — a practice
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bat — the animal
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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