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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. rule — a law
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. capital — money
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. perch — the fish
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. court — of a king
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. capital — a city
  14. rule — government
  15. stand — to bear
  16. sharp — clever
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bear — the animal
  22. court — of law
  23. court — for sport
  24. safe — out of danger

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