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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. capital — a city
  3. can — to be able to
  4. capital — money
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. squash — the sport
  7. can — a tin
  8. wind — moving air
  9. can — a tin
  10. root — of a word
  11. wind — moving air
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. charge — in control
  14. root — the cause
  15. tear — from crying
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. charge — electricity
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. squash — to crush
  20. charge — a price
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. root — of a plant
  23. tear — to rip
  24. tear — from crying

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