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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. march — music
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. march — the month
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. key — the most important part
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. bore — to tire
  10. cell — a phone
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. march — the month
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. capital — a city
  16. wound — an injury
  17. cell — in biology
  18. key — for a lock
  19. key — in music
  20. bore — to drill
  21. capital — money
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. wound — an injury
  24. branch — a division

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