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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. ground — crushed
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. tube — a container
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. capital — money
  11. bound — obliged
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. bound — tied together
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. ground — the earth
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. tube — the underground
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. pound — a weight
  21. capital — a city
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. bound — certain

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