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: bass · season · plane · capital · staff · racket · bore · wind

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. capital — a city
  4. bore — to drill
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. staff — employees
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. bore — to tire
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bass — the fish
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bass — low music
  14. staff — a stick
  15. plane — a tool
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. season — in sport
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. staff — employees
  21. season — of the year
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. capital — money

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