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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. key — for a lock
  3. land — ground
  4. land — a country
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. ground — crushed
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. kick — in football
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. ground — a position
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. row — a line
  15. capital — money
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. capital — a city
  19. key — in music
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. land — to come down
  22. branch — a division
  23. key — the most important part
  24. ground — the earth

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