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 116 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: racket · wake · bay · bound · tear · band · cap · capital

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. cap — of ice
  5. bound — obliged
  6. tear — from crying
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. capital — money
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bound — tied together
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. capital — a city
  13. band — a ring
  14. cap — a hat
  15. band — a music group
  16. bound — certain
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. tear — to rip
  20. wake — a trail
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. cap — a lid
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. capital — a big letter

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