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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. capital — money
  4. ball — a great time
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. field — farmland
  7. capital — a city
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. bore — to tire
  11. rush — hurry
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. field — for sport
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. bore — to drill
  17. ball — a dance
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. field — a subject
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. kick — in football
  24. leaves — of a tree

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