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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. pound — a weight
  4. mate — a partner
  5. mate — to breed
  6. firm — a company
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. mate — a friend
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. capital — a city
  12. firm — steady
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. firm — decided
  19. lean — thin
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. bat — the animal
  23. lean — to bend
  24. safe — a strongbox

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