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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. hand — help
  3. capital — a city
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. march — music
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. march — the month
  9. march — the month
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. hand — in cards
  16. pitch — completely
  17. cell — a phone
  18. cell — in biology
  19. capital — money
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. capital — a big letter

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