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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. mark — a trace
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. foot — a measure
  8. mark — a grade
  9. cell — in biology
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. lie — to recline
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. rush — hurry
  18. capital — money
  19. stock — shares
  20. cell — a phone
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. stock — goods
  24. lie — an untruth

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