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 116 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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. stock — shares
  5. land — to come down
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. sharp — clever
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. land — ground
  16. suit — clothes
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. capital — money
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. suit — to fit
  21. stock — goods
  22. capital — a city
  23. land — a country
  24. nail — on a finger

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