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 116 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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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. march — music
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. prune — to trim
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. suit — to fit
  9. face — to confront
  10. object — a thing
  11. object — an aim
  12. pound — a weight
  13. march — the month
  14. capital — a city
  15. object — to protest
  16. stock — goods
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. face — to point toward
  19. capital — money
  20. stock — shares
  21. march — the month
  22. suit — clothes
  23. face — part of the head
  24. prune — to trim

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