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: fan · bulb · hand · leaves · rock · saw · capital · ball

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. capital — a city
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. bulb — for light
  7. ball — a great time
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. hand — in cards
  14. rock — music
  15. hand — help
  16. capital — money
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. ball — a dance
  20. bulb — for light
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. rock — a stone
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. saw — the tool

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