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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. craft — a skill
  4. lean — to bend
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. lean — thin
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ball — a dance
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. ball — a great time
  12. capital — money
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. bat — the animal
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. capital — a city
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. stem — to come from
  19. net — in sport
  20. net — after costs
  21. craft — boats
  22. net — for catching
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. calf — a young animal

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