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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. fall — to drop
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. fall — the season
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. ball — a great time
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mine — for digging
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. ball — a dance
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. roll — a cake
  21. capital — a city
  22. fall — to drop
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. roll — a list

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