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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. march — the month
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chest — of your body
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. race — a contest
  9. capital — a city
  10. net — in sport
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pass — a permit
  13. march — the month
  14. race — the arms race
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — for light
  18. race — humankind
  19. capital — money
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. net — for catching
  23. net — after costs
  24. march — music

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