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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. capital — a city
  3. track — a song
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. capital — money
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. court — for sport
  9. wound — an injury
  10. stock — goods
  11. rush — hurry
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. stock — shares
  14. track — a path
  15. mark — a grade
  16. court — of a king
  17. wound — an injury
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. court — of law
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. track — to keep track
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. mark — a trace

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