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: mine · safe · capital · rock · court · rest · arm · shower

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. capital — money
  3. shower — rain
  4. rest — a break
  5. court — for sport
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. rest — what's left
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. court — of law
  12. rock — a stone
  13. capital — a city
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. court — of a king
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. shower — to wash
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. rest — what's left
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. rock — music
  24. mine — for digging

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