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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. club — for dancing
  6. face — part of the head
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. hand — in cards
  9. wound — an injury
  10. club — for golf
  11. capital — a city
  12. capital — money
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. mine — for digging
  16. face — to confront
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. face — to point toward
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. club — a group
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. hand — help

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