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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. capital — a city
  4. sharp — clever
  5. bass — low music
  6. mug — a cup
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. capital — money
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. bulb — for light
  14. chip — for betting
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. chip — to eat
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. season — of the year
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. bass — the fish
  21. mug — to rob
  22. bulb — for light
  23. chair — a leader
  24. season — in sport

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