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

Word bank: pit · capital · drill · hide · racket · rest

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. rest — what's left
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — a break
  11. pit — a hole
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. capital — money
  14. capital — a city
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. pit — in a race
  17. drill — a practice
  18. drill — army training

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