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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. capital — a city
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. suit — to fit
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. suit — in cards
  9. saw — the tool
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. suit — clothes
  12. scale — size or range
  13. scale — in music
  14. band — a music group
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. ground — crushed
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. saw — the tool
  19. band — a ring
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. ground — the earth
  22. capital — money
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. perch — the fish

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