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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. capital — money
  3. rule — government
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. mug — a cup
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. lean — to bend
  9. foot — a measure
  10. mug — to rob
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. mug — a face
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. rule — a law
  18. lean — thin
  19. capital — a city
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. pop — soda
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. pop — to visit
  24. pop — music

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