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: race · pitcher · capital · press · scale · ball · sharp · date

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. sharp — clever
  3. press — to push
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. race — a contest
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. press — newspapers
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. race — humankind
  13. press — a publisher
  14. capital — a city
  15. scale — in music
  16. date — the fruit
  17. capital — money
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. ball — a great time
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. race — the arms race
  24. capital — a big letter

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