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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. tear — to rip
  4. pop — music
  5. pop — soda
  6. bulb — for light
  7. pop — to visit
  8. swing — music
  9. capital — a city
  10. root — of a plant
  11. root — the cause
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. root — of a word
  15. tear — from crying
  16. swing — in golf
  17. bulb — for light
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. tear — from crying
  20. swing — to play on
  21. stand — to bear
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. capital — a big letter

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