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: tube · capital · rest · racket · shower · coach · bound · lie

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. capital — money
  3. shower — to wash
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. tube — the underground
  7. lie — to recline
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. capital — a city
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. shower — rain
  14. rest — a break
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bound — tied together
  17. tube — a container
  18. bound — obliged
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. rest — what's left
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. bound — certain
  24. lie — an untruth

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