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 · pit · rush · deal · chair · last · rule · pop

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rule — a law
  4. rush — hurry
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. rule — government
  7. last — final
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. capital — a city
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. deal — to handle
  12. pit — in a race
  13. pop — music
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. last — to go on
  16. last — finally
  17. capital — money
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. chair — a leader
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. pit — a hole
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. pop — to visit
  24. chair — a professorship

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