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: mate · band · squash · board · chair · capital · mark · deal

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. squash — to crush
  5. band — a ring
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. board — a committee
  8. capital — money
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mate — a partner
  11. band — a music group
  12. chair — a leader
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. squash — the sport
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mark — a trace
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. deal — to handle
  23. mark — a grade
  24. capital — a city

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