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 120 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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. capital — money
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. charge — electricity
  7. capital — a city
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. pound — a weight
  12. charge — in control
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. tube — the underground
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. chair — a leader
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. charge — a price
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. tube — a container
  24. nail — on a finger

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