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: suit · spring · capital · craft · cap · wave · coach · pitcher

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. spring — of water
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. cap — of ice
  6. craft — a skill
  7. spring — the season
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. capital — a city
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. suit — clothes
  12. spring — a coil
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. suit — to fit
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. capital — money
  20. craft — boats
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cap — a lid
  24. pitcher — a jug

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