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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. fall — the season
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. perch — the fish
  6. fall — to drop
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. pitch — completely
  10. fall — to drop
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wax — to grow
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. capital — money
  16. deal — to handle
  17. capital — a city
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. wake — a trail
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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