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: bear · wound · pitch · capital · rush · race · cue · ground

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. capital — a city
  4. bear — the animal
  5. race — humankind
  6. pitch — completely
  7. race — a contest
  8. cue — a signal
  9. ground — the earth
  10. ground — a position
  11. cue — for pool
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bear — the animal
  14. wound — an injury
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. cue — a hint
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. capital — money
  20. ground — crushed
  21. race — the arms race
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. rush — hurry

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