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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. face — to confront
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. can — a tin
  5. root — of a word
  6. root — of a plant
  7. land — ground
  8. vault — a safe
  9. root — the cause
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. capital — a city
  12. ball — a great time
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. foot — a measure
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. can — to be able to
  17. land — a country
  18. face — part of the head
  19. land — to come down
  20. can — a tin
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. ball — a dance
  24. face — to point toward

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