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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. stock — goods
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. bore — to drill
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. bore — to tire
  13. stock — shares
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. capital — a city
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. chair — a leader
  20. foot — a measure
  21. saw — the tool
  22. capital — money
  23. fork — in a road
  24. trunk — of a tree

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