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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. land — to come down
  4. shower — rain
  5. capital — a city
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. land — ground
  8. present — a gift
  9. track — a path
  10. present — the time now
  11. land — a country
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. foot — a measure
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. drill — the tool
  16. track — to keep track
  17. track — a song
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. present — there
  20. shower — to wash
  21. drill — army training
  22. capital — money
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. drill — a practice

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