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 120 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: mate · pound · capital · swing · rule · pass · band · safe

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. swing — to play on
  3. pound — a weight
  4. band — a music group
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. mate — a partner
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. swing — music
  13. mate — a friend
  14. pass — a permit
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. rule — a law
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. mate — to breed
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. capital — money
  21. capital — a city
  22. swing — in golf
  23. band — a ring
  24. rule — government

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