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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. fall — the season
  3. stand — to bear
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. wound — an injury
  6. present — the time now
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. capital — a city
  12. wound — an injury
  13. charge — a price
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. charge — electricity
  16. fork — in a road
  17. charge — in control
  18. present — a gift
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. present — there
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — to drop
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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