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

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. squash — the sport
  4. pitch — completely
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. last — finally
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. last — to go on
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. squash — to crush
  12. rock — music
  13. rock — a stone
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. last — final
  16. capital — money
  17. prune — to trim
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. vault — a safe
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. prune — to trim

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