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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. capital — money
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. last — to go on
  6. chest — a box
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. chest — of your body
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. sharp — clever
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. last — finally
  16. net — in sport
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. net — for catching
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. chest — of your body
  21. last — final
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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