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 116 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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. deal — to handle
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. key — in music
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. suit — in cards
  8. suit — clothes
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. key — for a lock
  11. capital — a city
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. season — in sport
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. capital — money
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. sharp — clever
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. key — the most important part
  23. suit — to fit
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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