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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. mine — for digging
  3. sharp — clever
  4. firm — decided
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. can — to be able to
  7. last — final
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. capital — a city
  13. firm — steady
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. can — a tin
  17. kick — in football
  18. pass — a permit
  19. last — finally
  20. can — a tin
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. last — to go on
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. firm — a company

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