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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. rest — what's left
  3. cue — a signal
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. pit — a hole
  6. cue — a hint
  7. cue — for pool
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. rest — a break
  10. bear — the animal
  11. pitch — completely
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. capital — money
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. content — happy
  18. pit — in a race
  19. rest — what's left
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. content — the amount
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. capital — a city
  24. bear — the animal

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