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 124 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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. pit — in a race
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. fall — to drop
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. press — a publisher
  7. rock — music
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. fall — the season
  10. press — to push
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. press — newspapers
  14. sharp — clever
  15. fall — to drop
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. capital — a city
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. perch — the fish
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. pit — a hole
  24. capital — money

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