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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. present — the time now
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — a stick
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. capital — money
  10. scale — in music
  11. capital — a city
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. fine — high quality
  17. row — to paddle
  18. fine — all right
  19. present — there
  20. staff — employees
  21. row — a line
  22. perch — the fish
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. present — a gift

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