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: toast · fork · fine · capital · pop · clip · pound · rule

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  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. clip — for paper
  2. capital — a city
  3. fine — all right
  4. toast — bread
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. fork — in a road
  7. pop — music
  8. fine — high quality
  9. capital — money
  10. clip — a video
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. clip — to cut
  21. pop — soda
  22. rule — a law
  23. fine — a penalty
  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