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: capital · chair · last · rest · bulb · cap · pop · key

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. rest — what's left
  4. cap — a lid
  5. pop — soda
  6. last — finally
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. last — final
  9. capital — a city
  10. capital — money
  11. cap — a hat
  12. rest — a break
  13. key — the most important part
  14. chair — a leader
  15. cap — of ice
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. key — for a lock
  18. bulb — for light
  19. pop — music
  20. last — to go on
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. bulb — for light
  23. key — in music
  24. rest — what's left

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