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 · jam · plane · pit · bear · mine · tube · pitcher

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. mine — for digging
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. pit — a hole
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. plane — a tool
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. capital — a city
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — the animal
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. tube — a container
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. pit — in a race
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. tube — the underground
  24. tube — in a tire

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