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: cap · capital · rule · coach · bore · row · dip · chair

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. row — to paddle
  4. chair — a leader
  5. cap — a lid
  6. bore — to tire
  7. capital — money
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rule — government
  10. row — a line
  11. capital — a city
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. dip — to sink
  14. rule — a law
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. cap — of ice
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. cap — a hat
  22. bore — to drill
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. coach — a trainer

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