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 beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. field — for sport
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. fine — high quality
  5. capital — money
  6. object — an aim
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. last — finally
  9. capital — a city
  10. fork — in a road
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. fine — all right
  14. last — final
  15. field — farmland
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. bear — the animal
  18. object — to protest
  19. object — a thing
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. field — a subject
  22. last — to go on
  23. rush — hurry
  24. bear — the animal

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