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: ruler · capital · mug · nail · cap · branch · cell · ball

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. cell — a phone
  3. cap — a lid
  4. capital — money
  5. mug — a face
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. mug — a cup
  10. mug — to rob
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. cap — a hat
  13. cell — in biology
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. ball — a dance
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. ball — a great time
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. branch — a division
  24. cap — of ice

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