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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. mine — for digging
  4. pass — a permit
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. sharp — clever
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. wax — to grow
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. capital — a city
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. pitch — completely
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. capital — money
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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