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: board · key · game · hand · bore · chest · mouse · capital

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. key — in music
  3. hand — in cards
  4. chest — of your body
  5. bore — to drill
  6. game — a match
  7. key — for a lock
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. game — wild animals
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. capital — money
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. chest — of your body
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. hand — help
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. key — the most important part
  19. board — a committee
  20. chest — a box
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. board — to get on
  24. bore — to tire

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