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 · bat · court · roll · object · safe · bay · bore

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. bore — to tire
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. court — for sport
  8. capital — money
  9. roll — a list
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. bore — to drill
  12. capital — a city
  13. roll — a cake
  14. object — to protest
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. object — a thing
  18. court — of law
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. object — an aim
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. court — of a king

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