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: safe · ground · pitcher · bass · capital · nail · shower · bay

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. ground — the earth
  3. capital — money
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. shower — rain
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. capital — a city
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bass — low music
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. bass — the fish
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. ground — crushed
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. ground — a position
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. shower — to wash

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