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: tube · press · cabinet · club · capital · date · cap · calf

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. club — for dancing
  3. capital — a city
  4. club — for golf
  5. tube — the underground
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. tube — a container
  10. cap — a hat
  11. press — a publisher
  12. date — the fruit
  13. club — a group
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. capital — money
  17. cap — of ice
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. press — newspapers
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. press — to push
  24. capital — a big letter

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