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 116 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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. ball — a dance
  4. capital — money
  5. saw — the tool
  6. capital — a city
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. march — the month
  9. march — music
  10. bear — the animal
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. current — electric
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. ball — a great time
  15. saw — the tool
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bear — the animal
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. current — happening now
  21. current — of water
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. march — the month
  24. hide — animal skin

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