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 116 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: staff · safe · capital · cold · court · mug · rash · rush

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. mug — to rob
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. rush — hurry
  5. court — of law
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. court — for sport
  9. cold — an illness
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. cold — not warm
  14. court — of a king
  15. mug — a face
  16. rash — a series
  17. staff — a stick
  18. mug — a cup
  19. capital — money
  20. capital — a city
  21. staff — employees
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. staff — employees

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