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

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. capital — a city
  3. capital — money
  4. lie — to recline
  5. bound — certain
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. roll — a cake
  8. bound — tied together
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bound — obliged
  11. mate — a friend
  12. tube — a container
  13. mate — a partner
  14. roll — a list
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. stand — to bear
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. mate — to breed
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. tube — the underground
  24. stand — for spectators

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