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 · press · rush · kick · pitch · row · pit

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. capital — money
  3. pit — in a race
  4. kick — in football
  5. pit — a hole
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. press — to push
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. press — newspapers
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. land — to come down
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. capital — a city
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. land — ground
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. row — a line
  19. pitch — completely
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. row — to paddle
  22. rush — hurry
  23. press — a publisher
  24. land — a country

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