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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. fine — high quality
  5. capital — money
  6. dip — to sink
  7. staff — employees
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. capital — a city
  11. staff — a stick
  12. race — the arms race
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. spring — the season
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. race — humankind
  18. hand — help
  19. spring — of water
  20. staff — employees
  21. fine — all right
  22. spring — a coil
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. race — a contest

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