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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. capital — money
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. cap — a lid
  6. season — of the year
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. season — in sport
  11. pit — a hole
  12. staff — employees
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. pit — in a race
  15. fine — high quality
  16. cap — of ice
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. cap — a hat
  19. rush — hurry
  20. fine — all right
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. capital — a city
  23. staff — a stick
  24. dip — to sink

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