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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. capital — a city
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. content — happy
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. pound — a weight
  18. content — the amount
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. rush — hurry
  22. pass — a permit
  23. capital — money
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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