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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mark — a grade
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. track — a path
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. cold — not warm
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. track — to keep track
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. track — a song
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. pitch — completely
  23. capital — a city
  24. cold — an illness

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