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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. rest — what's left
  3. capital — a city
  4. pop — soda
  5. charge — electricity
  6. snap — to click
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. rest — what's left
  9. pop — music
  10. charge — in control
  11. capital — money
  12. charge — a price
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. pop — to visit
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. rest — a break
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. craft — a skill
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. craft — boats

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