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: wake · capital · bowl · fan · current · row · racket · pitcher

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. current — electric
  3. current — of water
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. current — happening now
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. wake — a trail
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. row — a line
  15. capital — a city
  16. row — to paddle
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. capital — money
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. pitcher — a jug

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