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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. object — an aim
  3. capital — a city
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. mug — to rob
  7. capital — money
  8. last — finally
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. object — to protest
  12. sharp — clever
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. mug — a cup
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. mine — for digging
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. object — a thing
  19. last — final
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. mug — a face
  23. last — to go on
  24. sharp — exactly

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