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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. charge — electricity
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. mine — for digging
  12. sharp — clever
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. stock — shares
  17. charge — in control
  18. charge — a price
  19. lie — to recline
  20. stock — goods
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. capital — a city
  24. pitcher — a jug

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