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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. march — music
  6. march — the month
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. firm — decided
  9. cap — of ice
  10. rash — a series
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. kick — in football
  13. rash — hasty
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. cap — a lid
  16. capital — a city
  17. rock — a stone
  18. firm — steady
  19. cap — a hat
  20. capital — money
  21. firm — a company
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. rock — music
  24. march — the month

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