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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. wound — an injury
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. court — for sport
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. tear — from crying
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. wound — an injury
  10. march — the month
  11. court — of a king
  12. charge — electricity
  13. capital — a city
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. march — the month
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. march — music
  18. court — of law
  19. capital — money
  20. tear — to rip
  21. tear — from crying
  22. charge — a price
  23. charge — in control
  24. leaves — lets stay

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