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: key · mine · last · chair · fine · capital · vault · band

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. key — in music
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. vault — a safe
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. last — to go on
  8. fine — high quality
  9. capital — a city
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. chair — a leader
  12. mine — for digging
  13. last — finally
  14. capital — money
  15. key — the most important part
  16. fine — all right
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. band — a music group
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. band — a ring
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. last — final
  23. key — for a lock
  24. chair — to sit on

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