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: rush · ball · racket · wound · capital · pop · fan · safe

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. pop — music
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. ball — a dance
  8. wound — an injury
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. wound — an injury
  11. pop — to visit
  12. capital — a city
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. pop — soda
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. ball — a great time
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. capital — money
  24. rush — hurry

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