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 124 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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. capital — a city
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. cold — an illness
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. cold — not warm
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. lean — thin
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. mine — for digging
  16. prune — to trim
  17. lean — to bend
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. toast — bread
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. capital — money
  23. prune — to trim
  24. cold — the Cold War

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