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: bear · pound · spell · rush · capital · fan · stick · bound

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. spell — magic
  3. bound — certain
  4. spell — a short time
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rush — hurry
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bound — obliged
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — the animal
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. pound — a weight
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. spell — letters
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. capital — a city
  24. capital — money

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