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 120 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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. staff — employees
  4. tear — from crying
  5. branch — a division
  6. tear — to rip
  7. pass — a permit
  8. capital — a city
  9. staff — employees
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. chest — a box
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. staff — a stick
  16. chest — of your body
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. chest — of your body
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. tear — from crying
  24. capital — money

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