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: bass · season · band · mouse · content · race · press · capital

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. race — the arms race
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. season — of the year
  9. bass — low music
  10. capital — a city
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. press — a publisher
  13. press — to push
  14. content — the amount
  15. race — a contest
  16. content — happy
  17. capital — money
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. season — in sport
  20. race — humankind
  21. band — a ring
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. press — newspapers
  24. band — a music group

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