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 124 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 felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. pit — in a race
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. pit — a hole
  6. track — to keep track
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. capital — a city
  9. track — a path
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. can — to be able to
  12. capital — money
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. can — a tin
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. track — a song
  19. can — a tin
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. wake — a trail
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. chest — a box
  24. chest — of your body

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