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 valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. staff — a stick
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. mug — a face
  6. capital — a city
  7. lean — to bend
  8. mug — to rob
  9. content — the amount
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — employees
  12. face — to point toward
  13. capital — money
  14. face — to confront
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. lean — thin
  17. mug — a cup
  18. face — part of the head
  19. object — to protest
  20. pound — a weight
  21. object — an aim
  22. content — happy
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. pound — for dogs

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