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 120 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: racket · bay · mouse · capital · cap · present · ground · pit

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. pit — a hole
  3. present — the time now
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. capital — a city
  8. present — there
  9. ground — crushed
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. capital — money
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. cap — of ice
  17. present — a gift
  18. ground — the earth
  19. cap — a lid
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. ground — a position
  23. cap — a hat
  24. bay — a horse colour

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