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: pit · capital · press · shower · net · plane · racket · suit

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. capital — money
  3. press — a publisher
  4. net — in sport
  5. press — newspapers
  6. suit — clothes
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. net — for catching
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. capital — a city
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. net — after costs
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. shower — to wash
  16. pit — in a race
  17. suit — to fit
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. plane — a tool
  20. press — to push
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. pit — a hole
  23. suit — in cards
  24. shower — rain

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