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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. chip — for betting
  4. press — to push
  5. chest — a box
  6. press — a publisher
  7. track — to keep track
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. craft — boats
  10. chest — of your body
  11. track — a song
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. chest — of your body
  14. chip — to eat
  15. craft — a skill
  16. track — a path
  17. firm — a company
  18. firm — steady
  19. capital — money
  20. firm — decided
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. press — newspapers
  23. capital — a city
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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