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 120 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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. file — a line of people
  5. club — for golf
  6. press — to push
  7. capital — a city
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. club — a group
  10. file — a tool
  11. press — a publisher
  12. press — newspapers
  13. club — for dancing
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. ball — a great time
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. game — a match
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. capital — money
  20. ball — a dance
  21. file — a document
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. safe — a strongbox

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