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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. object — a thing
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. dip — to sink
  6. object — to protest
  7. ground — crushed
  8. mate — a friend
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. capital — a city
  13. mate — a partner
  14. rest — what's left
  15. pound — a weight
  16. rest — a break
  17. capital — money
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. object — an aim
  21. rest — what's left
  22. ground — a position
  23. ground — the earth
  24. pound — to hit hard

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