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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. capital — money
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. swing — to play on
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. rest — what's left
  8. lie — to recline
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. capital — a city
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — a break
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. swing — in golf
  22. swing — music
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. pitcher — a jug

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