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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. march — the month
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. capital — money
  10. cell — a phone
  11. prune — to trim
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. perch — the fish
  14. march — the month
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. prune — to trim
  20. march — music
  21. capital — a city
  22. cell — in biology
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. racket — for tennis

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