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: capital · leaves · perch · press · cold · pit · bay · cue

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. capital — a city
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. capital — money
  6. cold — an illness
  7. pit — a hole
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. press — to push
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cue — for pool
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. pit — in a race
  18. cold — not warm
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. press — newspapers
  21. press — a publisher
  22. perch — the fish
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. perch — for a bird

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