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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. tear — from crying
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. toast — bread
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. tear — to rip
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. fall — to drop
  12. capital — a city
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. kick — in football
  16. stand — to bear
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. tear — from crying
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. fall — the season
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. fall — to drop
  24. pitcher — a jug

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