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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. club — for golf
  3. capital — money
  4. club — a group
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. present — the time now
  8. firm — decided
  9. firm — steady
  10. capital — a city
  11. shower — to wash
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. present — a gift
  14. club — for dancing
  15. ball — a great time
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mark — a trace
  18. firm — a company
  19. bear — the animal
  20. shower — rain
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. ball — a dance
  23. bear — the animal
  24. capital — a big letter

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