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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. capital — a city
  6. pitch — completely
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. wound — an injury
  10. file — a document
  11. wound — an injury
  12. file — a tool
  13. capital — money
  14. tube — a container
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. file — a line of people
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. tube — the underground
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. tube — in a tire

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