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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. capital — money
  4. bound — obliged
  5. fork — in a road
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. root — of a word
  8. lean — thin
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bound — certain
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. rash — a series
  13. rash — hasty
  14. capital — a city
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. drill — army training
  17. bound — tied together
  18. root — the cause
  19. drill — the tool
  20. lean — to bend
  21. root — of a plant
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. drill — a practice
  24. fork — a garden tool

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