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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. cold — not warm
  6. deal — to handle
  7. craft — a skill
  8. pop — to visit
  9. capital — a city
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. craft — boats
  12. cold — an illness
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. club — for dancing
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. club — for golf
  17. can — a tin
  18. pop — soda
  19. can — to be able to
  20. pop — music
  21. can — a tin
  22. capital — money
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. club — a group

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