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: present · can · band · capital · rush · net · pitcher · scale

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. can — to be able to
  3. scale — in music
  4. net — for catching
  5. band — a ring
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — a tin
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. rush — hurry
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. present — there
  12. net — in sport
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. present — the time now
  15. capital — money
  16. capital — a city
  17. band — a music group
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. net — after costs
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. scale — size or range
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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