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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. march — the month
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. capital — a city
  7. march — music
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pitch — completely
  10. capital — money
  11. chair — a leader
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. root — of a word
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. root — the cause
  18. march — the month
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. rush — hurry
  23. wake — a trail
  24. root — of a plant

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