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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. march — the month
  4. march — the month
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. fall — to drop
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. fall — the season
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. mine — for digging
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. march — music
  13. rock — a stone
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. capital — money
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. rock — music
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. fall — to drop
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. capital — a city

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