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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. scale — size or range
  3. last — finally
  4. scale — in music
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. spring — a coil
  9. capital — a city
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. shower — rain
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. rest — a break
  14. rest — what's left
  15. capital — money
  16. shower — to wash
  17. last — final
  18. pit — a hole
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. spring — the season
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. spring — of water
  23. rest — what's left
  24. pit — in a race

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