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: bowl · capital · wave · lean · ground · board · band · wake

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. ground — crushed
  6. board — to get on
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. band — a music group
  10. capital — money
  11. lean — thin
  12. ground — the earth
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. board — a committee
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. lean — to bend
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wake — a trail
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. band — a ring
  22. ground — a position
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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