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: land · capital · hand · pit · scale · lash · suit · wave

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. suit — clothes
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. pit — in a race
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. suit — in cards
  8. hand — help
  9. capital — money
  10. hand — in cards
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. scale — size or range
  13. pit — a hole
  14. capital — a city
  15. land — ground
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. scale — in music
  18. land — to come down
  19. suit — to fit
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. land — a country
  24. lash — to lash out

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