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 · cap · rest · pitch · jam · board · leaves · capital

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. capital — money
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. tube — the underground
  5. cap — a lid
  6. rest — what's left
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. capital — a city
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. cap — of ice
  14. rest — what's left
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. cap — a hat
  17. rest — a break
  18. tube — a container
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. pitch — completely
  22. board — a committee
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. leaves — to go away

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