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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. capital — money
  4. game — wild animals
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. present — the time now
  7. plane — a tool
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. game — a match
  10. court — of a king
  11. rest — a break
  12. capital — a city
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. rest — what's left
  17. present — there
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. rest — what's left
  20. court — of law
  21. pitch — completely
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. court — for sport
  24. game — a kind of play

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