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: pitcher · pit · track · pop · saw · fall · capital · rash

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. 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. rash — a series
  2. track — a path
  3. pit — a hole
  4. rash — hasty
  5. pit — in a race
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. capital — a city
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. capital — money
  10. fall — to drop
  11. track — to keep track
  12. fall — to drop
  13. saw — the tool
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. pop — soda
  17. pop — music
  18. saw — the tool
  19. pop — to visit
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. track — a song
  24. 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