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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. capital — a city
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. game — wild animals
  7. mark — a trace
  8. capital — money
  9. root — of a plant
  10. root — the cause
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. mug — a face
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. game — a match
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. mug — to rob
  20. root — of a word
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. mark — a grade
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. pound — a weight

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