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 124 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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. game — a match
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. current — electric
  6. suit — to fit
  7. ground — the earth
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. capital — money
  10. hand — help
  11. object — a thing
  12. suit — clothes
  13. hand — in cards
  14. current — happening now
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. object — to protest
  17. ground — crushed
  18. ground — a position
  19. current — of water
  20. capital — a city
  21. object — an aim
  22. game — wild animals
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. hand — part of the body

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