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: rush · safe · fan · bass · toast · capital · content · craft

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  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. bass — low music
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. capital — a city
  7. craft — a skill
  8. rush — hurry
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. content — the amount
  11. content — happy
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. toast — bread
  18. bass — the fish
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. craft — boats
  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