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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. wound — an injury
  3. stand — to bear
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. craft — boats
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. roll — a list
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. lie — to recline
  11. lean — thin
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. craft — a skill
  14. wound — an injury
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. lean — to bend
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. capital — a city
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. roll — a cake

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