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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. fall — the season
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. game — a match
  7. fall — to drop
  8. drill — the tool
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. fine — high quality
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. game — wild animals
  13. capital — money
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fine — all right
  17. drill — army training
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. rash — a series
  20. rash — hasty
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. capital — a city
  23. toast — bread
  24. drill — a practice

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