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: bound · tube · tear · capital · ground · fine · current · arm

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. capital — money
  4. tear — from crying
  5. current — of water
  6. current — electric
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. tear — from crying
  10. ground — a position
  11. ground — crushed
  12. tear — to rip
  13. capital — a city
  14. fine — high quality
  15. ground — the earth
  16. bound — certain
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bound — tied together
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bound — obliged
  21. tube — the underground
  22. tube — a container
  23. fine — all right
  24. current — happening now

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