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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. press — a publisher
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. capital — a city
  9. snap — to click
  10. mug — a cup
  11. swing — in golf
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. mug — to rob
  14. dip — to sink
  15. mug — a face
  16. swing — to play on
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. plane — a tool
  19. swing — music
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. press — newspapers
  23. fork — in a road
  24. press — to push

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