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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. ball — a great time
  3. capital — a city
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. land — to come down
  6. capital — money
  7. land — ground
  8. wake — a trail
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. ball — a dance
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. plane — a tool
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. squash — the sport
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. race — a contest
  19. race — humankind
  20. race — the arms race
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. land — a country
  24. wake — before a funeral

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