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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. deal — to handle
  3. wound — an injury
  4. capital — a city
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. wound — an injury
  7. mark — a grade
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. pop — soda
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. pop — to visit
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. rock — music
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. pop — music
  17. plane — a tool
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. rock — a stone
  21. capital — money
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. mark — a trace

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