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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. last — to go on
  3. board — to get on
  4. firm — steady
  5. capital — a city
  6. kick — in football
  7. last — final
  8. board — a committee
  9. firm — decided
  10. fine — high quality
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. present — the time now
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. present — there
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. fine — all right
  19. firm — a company
  20. last — finally
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. present — a gift

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