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 116 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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. capital — a city
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. game — wild animals
  6. rash — hasty
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. game — a match
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. rash — a series
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. capital — money
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. dip — to sink
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — to recline
  23. hand — in cards
  24. hand — help

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