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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: deal · capital · suit · fall · pitch · pound

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. capital — a city
  3. deal — to handle
  4. fall — to drop
  5. suit — clothes
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. pitch — completely
  12. capital — money
  13. suit — to fit
  14. pound — a weight
  15. fall — to drop
  16. suit — in cards
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. fall — the season

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