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: present · race · deal · drill · capital · fan · fine · kid

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. deal — to handle
  4. capital — a city
  5. capital — money
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. drill — a practice
  9. race — humankind
  10. present — the time now
  11. race — a contest
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. kid — to tease
  15. present — a gift
  16. present — there
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fine — high quality
  21. kid — child
  22. drill — the tool
  23. race — the arms race
  24. fine — all right

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