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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. tear — from crying
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. date — the fruit
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. capital — money
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. tear — to rip
  13. track — to keep track
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. chair — a leader
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. track — a song
  20. track — a path
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. tear — from crying
  24. calf — a young animal

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