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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. date — the fruit
  8. bear — the animal
  9. capital — money
  10. staff — employees
  11. snap — to click
  12. capital — a city
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. staff — a stick
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. staff — employees

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