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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. capital — a city
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. tear — from crying
  5. lean — thin
  6. can — a tin
  7. charge — electricity
  8. capital — money
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. can — to be able to
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. lean — to bend
  15. spell — a short time
  16. spell — magic
  17. tear — to rip
  18. charge — a price
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. tear — from crying
  21. fork — in a road
  22. vault — a safe
  23. charge — in control
  24. spell — letters

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