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 beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. capital — money
  4. charge — a price
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. charge — in control
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. capital — a city
  9. stock — goods
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bat — the animal
  16. wind — moving air
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. wind — moving air
  19. charge — electricity
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. stock — shares
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. bat — in an idiom

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