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: leaves · capital · pitcher · hide · fine · kid · race · key

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. race — the arms race
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. capital — money
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. kid — child
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. key — the most important part
  9. key — for a lock
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. kid — to tease
  12. race — humankind
  13. fine — all right
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. race — a contest
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. fine — high quality
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. key — in music
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. capital — a city
  24. hide — animal skin

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