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 124 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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. face — to point toward
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. capital — a city
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. firm — steady
  7. squash — the sport
  8. capital — money
  9. suit — in cards
  10. face — to confront
  11. squash — to crush
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. mug — to rob
  14. firm — a company
  15. suit — to fit
  16. face — part of the head
  17. kid — child
  18. mug — a cup
  19. suit — clothes
  20. kid — to tease
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. firm — decided
  24. pitch — completely

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