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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. date — the fruit
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. band — a music group
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. fall — to drop
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. capital — a city
  12. fall — the season
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. band — a ring
  18. fall — to drop
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. bark — to shout
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. arm — part of the body

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