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: last · stick · capital · fork · mouse · vault · tear · shower

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. vault — a safe
  3. capital — money
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. capital — a city
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. last — final
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. last — to go on
  12. tear — from crying
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. last — finally
  16. tear — to rip
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. fork — in a road
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. shower — to wash
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. shower — rain
  24. tear — from crying

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