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 120 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: rule · bulb · swing · season · race · capital · object · kid

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. race — a contest
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. rule — government
  5. swing — in golf
  6. object — a thing
  7. rule — a law
  8. season — in sport
  9. capital — a city
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. season — of the year
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. swing — to play on
  14. bulb — for light
  15. kid — to tease
  16. object — an aim
  17. kid — child
  18. object — to protest
  19. race — the arms race
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. race — humankind
  22. swing — music
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. bulb — for light

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