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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. press — to push
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. press — a publisher
  8. capital — money
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bark — to shout
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. wake — a trail
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — to recline
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. fork — in a road
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. press — newspapers
  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