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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. march — the month
  4. capital — money
  5. object — an aim
  6. present — the time now
  7. capital — a city
  8. tear — from crying
  9. object — a thing
  10. mate — a friend
  11. bore — to tire
  12. mate — to breed
  13. bore — to drill
  14. object — to protest
  15. present — there
  16. can — to be able to
  17. tear — from crying
  18. mate — a partner
  19. tear — to rip
  20. present — a gift
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — a tin
  23. march — music
  24. march — the month

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