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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. spring — of water
  3. spring — a coil
  4. capital — a city
  5. suit — in cards
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. vault — a safe
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. rush — hurry
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. capital — money
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. suit — to fit
  21. sharp — clever
  22. suit — clothes
  23. spring — the season
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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