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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. swing — in golf
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. swing — to play on
  8. march — music
  9. rest — what's left
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. kid — to tease
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. march — the month
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — a break
  19. swing — music
  20. foot — a measure
  21. perch — the fish
  22. march — the month
  23. capital — money
  24. kid — child

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