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: wave · pass · deal · capital · fan · net · bank · track

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. deal — to handle
  6. track — a song
  7. capital — a city
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. track — a path
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bank — for money
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. pass — a permit
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. capital — money
  17. net — in sport
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. net — for catching
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. net — after costs
  23. bank — for money
  24. wave — of the sea

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