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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. net — in sport
  4. present — the time now
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. rush — hurry
  9. net — for catching
  10. scale — size or range
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. charge — in control
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. charge — a price
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. capital — money
  17. capital — a city
  18. charge — electricity
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. present — a gift
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. net — after costs
  24. scale — in music

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