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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. staff — employees
  3. firm — steady
  4. capital — a city
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. chest — of your body
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. land — a country
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. staff — a stick
  12. fine — all right
  13. capital — money
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. firm — decided
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. chest — of your body
  18. fine — high quality
  19. firm — a company
  20. chest — a box
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. staff — employees
  23. land — ground
  24. fine — a penalty

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