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 · race · suit · bay · safe · clip · face · capital

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. clip — a video
  3. face — part of the head
  4. suit — in cards
  5. clip — for paper
  6. race — a contest
  7. race — humankind
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. face — to confront
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. face — to point toward
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. suit — to fit
  16. capital — a city
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. clip — to cut
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. capital — money
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. race — the arms race
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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