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: prune · straw · suit · pitcher · foot · kid · bat · capital

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. kid — child
  7. suit — clothes
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. capital — money
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. foot — a measure
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. kid — to tease
  15. capital — a city
  16. suit — in cards
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. prune — to trim
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. bat — the animal
  22. suit — to fit
  23. prune — to trim
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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