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 120 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: kid · current · swing · cap · capital · root · cabinet · chest

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. chest — a box
  3. cap — of ice
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. root — the cause
  7. current — happening now
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. swing — to play on
  11. chest — of your body
  12. capital — money
  13. kid — child
  14. current — electric
  15. cap — a hat
  16. chest — of your body
  17. current — of water
  18. capital — a city
  19. swing — music
  20. swing — in golf
  21. root — of a word
  22. root — of a plant
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. kid — to tease

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