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 · band · race · dip · bank · content · lean · bark

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. lean — thin
  3. capital — a city
  4. content — the amount
  5. dip — to sink
  6. bank — for money
  7. band — a music group
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. band — a ring
  10. bank — of a river
  11. capital — money
  12. content — happy
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bank — for money
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. race — humankind
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. lean — to bend
  22. race — the arms race
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. race — a contest

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