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: pitcher · mouse · capital · squash · key · band · patient · chip

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. band — a music group
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. chip — to eat
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. key — for a lock
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. squash — to crush
  13. key — the most important part
  14. squash — the sport
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. key — in music
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. capital — money
  19. chip — for betting
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. capital — a city
  24. patient — a sick person

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