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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. pitch — completely
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. wind — moving air
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. game — wild animals
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. vault — a safe
  10. wind — moving air
  11. chip — for betting
  12. bass — low music
  13. capital — a city
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bass — the fish
  19. game — a match
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. chip — to eat
  23. capital — money
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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