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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. tube — the underground
  3. capital — a city
  4. fine — all right
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rule — government
  8. capital — money
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. fine — high quality
  11. pit — a hole
  12. season — in sport
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. season — of the year
  19. rash — a series
  20. tube — a container
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. rule — a law

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