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 120 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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bark — to shout
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. capital — money
  8. capital — a city
  9. present — the time now
  10. present — a gift
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. fine — high quality
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. fine — all right
  19. lie — to recline
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. present — there
  24. lie — an untruth

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