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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. spring — a coil
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. staff — employees
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. ball — a dance
  7. press — to push
  8. capital — money
  9. capital — a city
  10. staff — a stick
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. ball — a great time
  13. spring — of water
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. press — a publisher
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. shower — rain
  18. press — newspapers
  19. spring — the season
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. staff — employees
  22. shower — to wash
  23. pitch — completely
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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