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: bore · spring · key · capital · suit · wind · mouse · kid

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. spring — of water
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. capital — a city
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. key — the most important part
  9. wind — moving air
  10. suit — in cards
  11. suit — clothes
  12. bore — to tire
  13. spring — a coil
  14. kid — to tease
  15. kid — child
  16. spring — the season
  17. wind — moving air
  18. key — for a lock
  19. key — in music
  20. capital — money
  21. bore — to drill
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — for a computer

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