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. The water is too ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. mine — for digging
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. mug — a face
  8. mug — a cup
  9. capital — money
  10. mug — to rob
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. capital — a city
  14. court — of a king
  15. cold — an illness
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. snap — to click
  22. court — of law
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. court — for 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