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 116 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: rash · capital · rush · face · bay · key · wake · pitcher

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  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. key — for a lock
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. rush — hurry
  4. face — part of the head
  5. capital — a city
  6. wake — a trail
  7. key — in music
  8. capital — money
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. key — the most important part
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. rash — hasty
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. face — to confront
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. rash — a series
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. face — to point toward
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. capital — a big letter
  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