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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  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. rush — a thrill
  2. squash — to crush
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. capital — money
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. squash — the sport
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. vault — a safe
  10. cue — a hint
  11. rash — hasty
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. pitch — completely
  15. spell — letters
  16. cue — for pool
  17. rash — a series
  18. spell — magic
  19. capital — a city
  20. spell — a short time
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. rush — hurry
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  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