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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. sharp — clever
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. kid — to tease
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. kid — child
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. capital — money
  17. mark — a grade
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. mark — a trace

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