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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. object — a thing
  6. race — a contest
  7. race — humankind
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. dip — to sink
  10. capital — a city
  11. mine — for digging
  12. capital — money
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. race — the arms race
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. object — to protest
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. object — an aim
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. wax — in the ear

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