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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. swing — to play on
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. band — a ring
  7. band — a music group
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. board — a committee
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. foot — a measure
  15. capital — a city
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. swing — music
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. swing — in golf
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. board — to get on
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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