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: pitcher · mate · cap · capital · hide · sharp · swing · season

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. capital — money
  3. cap — of ice
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. cap — a hat
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. mate — to breed
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. swing — to play on
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. sharp — clever
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. mate — a partner
  15. capital — a city
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. swing — music
  19. cap — a lid
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. season — of the year
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. mate — a friend
  24. swing — in golf

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