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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. last — to go on
  3. saw — the tool
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. last — final
  7. pitch — completely
  8. bore — to tire
  9. saw — the tool
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. capital — a city
  14. bore — to drill
  15. chip — to eat
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. chip — for betting
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. last — finally
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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