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: net · capital · cap · field · lie · perch · roll · fine

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. cap — a hat
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. capital — money
  5. field — for sport
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. field — a subject
  8. roll — a cake
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. net — for catching
  11. net — in sport
  12. fine — high quality
  13. capital — a city
  14. cap — a lid
  15. lie — to recline
  16. net — after costs
  17. fine — all right
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. field — farmland
  21. cap — of ice
  22. perch — the fish
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. lie — an untruth

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