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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. cue — a signal
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. capital — money
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. pit — a hole
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. root — of a word
  11. bank — of a river
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. pit — in a race
  14. root — the cause
  15. cue — a hint
  16. ball — a great time
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. bank — for money
  19. root — of a plant
  20. cue — for pool
  21. bank — for money
  22. pass — a permit
  23. ball — a dance
  24. pass — to spend time

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