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: wave · season · fine · trunk · scale · capital · file · mug

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. file — a document
  4. capital — a city
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. mug — to rob
  9. file — a tool
  10. fine — high quality
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. fine — all right
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. mug — a cup
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. capital — money
  18. file — a line of people
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. mug — a face
  21. scale — in music
  22. season — in sport
  23. scale — size or range
  24. trunk — of a tree

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