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 · mark · face · key · ground · last · kid · squash

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. last — finally
  3. face — part of the head
  4. face — to point toward
  5. key — in music
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. capital — a city
  8. key — the most important part
  9. kid — to tease
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. kid — child
  12. squash — to crush
  13. face — to confront
  14. ground — the earth
  15. last — final
  16. ground — a position
  17. capital — money
  18. squash — the sport
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. key — for a lock
  21. ground — crushed
  22. mark — a trace
  23. mark — a grade
  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