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: toast · court · saw · patient · capital · lash · pop · nail

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. toast — bread
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. capital — a city
  6. capital — money
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. court — for sport
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. court — of a king
  14. saw — the tool
  15. court — of law
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. pop — soda
  18. saw — the tool
  19. pop — music
  20. pop — to visit
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. patient — a sick person

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