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 · mate · perch · row · deal · bear · stick · squash

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bear — the animal
  5. squash — to crush
  6. deal — to handle
  7. perch — the fish
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. capital — money
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. squash — the sport
  13. mate — a friend
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. row — to paddle
  19. capital — a city
  20. bear — the animal
  21. mate — to breed
  22. row — a line
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. row — a quarrel

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