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: key · rush · lash · capital · tear · cap · land · season

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. capital — money
  3. cap — a lid
  4. rush — hurry
  5. tear — from crying
  6. land — ground
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. season — in sport
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. tear — to rip
  13. tear — from crying
  14. key — for a lock
  15. land — to come down
  16. capital — a city
  17. land — a country
  18. cap — a hat
  19. key — the most important part
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. key — in music
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. cap — of ice

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