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: can · pop · pitcher · bowl · board · saw · capital · mate

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. mate — a friend
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. capital — money
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. board — to get on
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — a tin
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. capital — a city
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. mate — a partner
  16. board — a committee
  17. saw — the tool
  18. mate — to breed
  19. saw — the tool
  20. pop — music
  21. can — to be able to
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. pop — soda
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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