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: racket · bound · fall · drill · capital · sharp · hide · chip

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bound — obliged
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. drill — a practice
  6. capital — a city
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. chip — to eat
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. fall — the season
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. drill — the tool
  15. fall — to drop
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bound — certain
  19. chip — for betting
  20. drill — army training
  21. fall — to drop
  22. capital — money
  23. bound — tied together
  24. racket — for tennis

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