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: snap · press · scale · capital · key · bowl · pitcher · kick

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. scale — in music
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. press — to push
  8. press — newspapers
  9. scale — size or range
  10. key — for a lock
  11. kick — in football
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. snap — to click
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. key — the most important part
  17. capital — money
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. key — in music
  21. capital — a city
  22. press — a publisher
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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