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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. squash — to crush
  3. capital — money
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. squash — the sport
  6. cue — for pool
  7. spring — of water
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. saw — the tool
  10. plane — a tool
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. spring — a coil
  13. spring — the season
  14. cue — a hint
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. saw — the tool
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. vault — a safe
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. cue — a signal
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. capital — a city

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