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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. swing — in golf
  3. capital — a city
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. spring — of water
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. spring — the season
  12. chair — a leader
  13. fall — the season
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. capital — money
  20. spring — a coil
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. bat — the animal
  23. swing — to play on
  24. swing — music

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