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: spell · nail · capital · wake · vault · pitcher · fan · mark

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. spell — letters
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. capital — a city
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. mark — a trace
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. capital — money
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. spell — magic
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. mark — a grade
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. spell — a short time
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. vault — a safe
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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