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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. object — to protest
  7. object — an aim
  8. season — in sport
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. cell — in biology
  11. rock — a stone
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. season — of the year
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. kick — in football
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. capital — money
  19. cell — a phone
  20. rock — music
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — part of the 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