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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. cell — in biology
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. capital — a city
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. capital — money
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. cell — a phone
  13. board — a committee
  14. pitch — completely
  15. wound — an injury
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. board — to get on
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. wound — an injury

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