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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. scale — size or range
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. present — there
  11. court — of a king
  12. court — of law
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. present — the time now
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. capital — money
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. court — for sport
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. present — a gift
  22. scale — in music
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. trunk — of a car

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