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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. capital — a city
  6. current — of water
  7. capital — money
  8. ball — a dance
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pit — in a race
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pit — a hole
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. current — electric
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. lie — to recline
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. current — happening now
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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