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: craft · bank · mate · capital · field · cap · bass · ground

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bank — for money
  3. field — a subject
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. ground — the earth
  6. mate — a partner
  7. cap — of ice
  8. craft — boats
  9. ground — crushed
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. ground — a position
  12. field — farmland
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. mate — to breed
  15. bass — low music
  16. bass — the fish
  17. cap — a hat
  18. cap — a lid
  19. field — for sport
  20. capital — a city
  21. capital — money
  22. bank — for money
  23. mate — a friend
  24. craft — a skill

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