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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. chest — of your body
  10. chest — a box
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. chest — of your body
  14. pitch — completely
  15. capital — money
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. mug — a face
  18. hand — help
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. capital — a city
  21. hand — in cards
  22. mug — a cup
  23. dip — to sink
  24. dip — to dunk

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