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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. scale — size or range
  3. swing — to play on
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. scale — in music
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. mate — a partner
  8. capital — a city
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. ground — the earth
  12. swing — music
  13. mate — to breed
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. ground — a position
  16. mate — a friend
  17. deal — to handle
  18. rush — hurry
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. ground — crushed
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. swing — in golf
  24. scale — for weighing

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