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

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. roll — a cake
  4. press — newspapers
  5. lean — to bend
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. lean — thin
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. game — wild animals
  10. capital — a city
  11. clip — a video
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. roll — a list
  17. capital — money
  18. clip — for paper
  19. rush — hurry
  20. clip — to cut
  21. press — to push
  22. game — a match
  23. press — a publisher
  24. game — a kind of play

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