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 · chest · pit · rock · bound · bass · mug · club

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  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. bass — the instrument
  2. capital — money
  3. club — for golf
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chest — of your body
  6. mug — to rob
  7. bass — the fish
  8. club — a group
  9. bound — tied together
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. club — for dancing
  12. mug — a cup
  13. chest — a box
  14. capital — a city
  15. pit — a hole
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rock — music
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. pit — in a race
  20. mug — a face
  21. bound — certain
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bass — low music
  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