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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. capital — money
  3. degree — temperature
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. staff — a stick
  6. kid — child
  7. key — the most important part
  8. capital — a city
  9. degree — an amount
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. kid — to tease
  14. key — for a lock
  15. foot — a measure
  16. key — in music
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. staff — employees
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. degree — from a university
  21. stand — to bear
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. staff — employees
  24. foot — 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