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: fine · can · pit · rush · capital · pitch · wake · spring

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. rush — hurry
  4. spring — a coil
  5. can — a tin
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wake — a trail
  10. can — a tin
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. can — to be able to
  14. capital — a city
  15. pitch — completely
  16. fine — all right
  17. pit — a hole
  18. capital — money
  19. spring — of water
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. spring — the season
  22. fine — high quality
  23. pit — in a race
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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