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: cabinet · ball · mark · mate · track · trunk · capital · spell

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. mate — a friend
  3. spell — magic
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. track — to keep track
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. capital — money
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. capital — a city
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. ball — a dance
  12. mark — a grade
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. mark — a trace
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. track — a path
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. ball — a great time
  20. spell — letters
  21. track — a song
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mate — to breed
  24. spell — a short time

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