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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. bank — for money
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. present — a gift
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. capital — a city
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. present — the time now
  10. stand — to bear
  11. fine — high quality
  12. cold — not warm
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. cold — an illness
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. fine — all right
  17. bank — for money
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. capital — money
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. date — the fruit
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. bank — of a river

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