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: current · craft · tube · key · capital · shower · land · band

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. key — the most important part
  4. current — happening now
  5. tube — the underground
  6. shower — rain
  7. shower — to wash
  8. current — of water
  9. current — electric
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. tube — a container
  13. land — a country
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. band — a ring
  17. capital — a city
  18. land — ground
  19. capital — money
  20. craft — a skill
  21. key — for a lock
  22. band — a music group
  23. craft — boats
  24. key — in music

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