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 116 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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. capital — a city
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. last — final
  5. capital — money
  6. last — finally
  7. last — to go on
  8. lean — thin
  9. lean — to bend
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. tube — the underground
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. rest — what's left
  17. fine — high quality
  18. pitch — completely
  19. snap — to click
  20. fine — all right
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. rest — what's left
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. rest — a break

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