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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. rest — what's left
  6. field — farmland
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. capital — money
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. rest — what's left
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. firm — a company
  13. firm — decided
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. firm — steady
  17. rest — a break
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. field — for sport
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. field — a subject
  23. pitch — completely
  24. leaves — to go away

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