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 120 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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. dip — to sink
  6. pitch — completely
  7. capital — money
  8. chest — a box
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. chest — of your body
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. squash — to crush
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. chest — of your body
  24. capital — a city

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