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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. net — in sport
  9. march — the month
  10. key — the most important part
  11. march — the month
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. cue — a hint
  14. march — music
  15. key — in music
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. cue — for pool
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. capital — a city
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. capital — money
  22. key — for a lock
  23. net — after costs
  24. cue — a signal

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