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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. race — a contest
  9. press — newspapers
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. race — humankind
  12. press — to push
  13. object — an aim
  14. shower — rain
  15. object — to protest
  16. press — a publisher
  17. race — the arms race
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. shower — to wash
  20. capital — money
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. object — a thing
  23. deal — to handle
  24. deal — a big deal

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