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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. tear — from crying
  3. rock — music
  4. capital — a city
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. pit — in a race
  8. tear — from crying
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. rock — a stone
  13. deal — to handle
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. tube — the underground
  16. tear — to rip
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. capital — money
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. tube — a container
  24. pit — a hole

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