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: bay · trunk · pit · capital · can · chip · season · fan

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. can — a tin
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. season — of the year
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. can — a tin
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. pit — in a race
  16. capital — money
  17. chip — for betting
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. capital — a city
  20. can — to be able to
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. season — in sport
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. chip — to eat

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