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: capital · file · object · rule · wind · pitch · last · stick

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. rule — a law
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. object — a thing
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. file — a line of people
  8. rule — government
  9. pitch — completely
  10. last — finally
  11. last — final
  12. object — to protest
  13. wind — moving air
  14. capital — money
  15. file — a tool
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. object — an aim
  19. file — a document
  20. wind — moving air
  21. capital — a city
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. last — to go on

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