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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. cue — a hint
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. pit — a hole
  6. cue — a signal
  7. capital — a city
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. chip — for betting
  12. pit — in a race
  13. cue — for pool
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. bass — low music
  18. wind — moving air
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. bass — the fish
  21. capital — money
  22. chip — to eat
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. wind — moving air

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