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: capital · nail · rock · pound · wake · ground · vault · bound

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. ground — a position
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. vault — a safe
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. wake — a trail
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. bound — obliged
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. bound — tied together
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. capital — a city
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. bound — certain
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. capital — money
  20. rock — a stone
  21. ground — the earth
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. rock — music
  24. ground — crushed

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