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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. mate — to breed
  5. bound — certain
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. capital — a city
  8. club — a group
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. ball — a great time
  13. mine — for digging
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. bound — obliged
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. club — for dancing
  20. mate — a friend
  21. bound — tied together
  22. mate — a partner
  23. ball — a dance
  24. capital — money

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