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: fine · capital · cabinet · pitch · bank · arm · hide · cold

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  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. arm — a part of something
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. cold — not warm
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. cold — an illness
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. capital — a city
  12. pitch — completely
  13. bank — of a river
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. bank — for money
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bank — for money
  18. fine — high quality
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. fine — all right
  23. pitch — a sports field
  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