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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: kick · capital · season · fork · fall · chip

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. capital — money
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. fall — to drop
  10. kick — in football
  11. capital — a city
  12. chip — to eat
  13. season — of the year
  14. fall — to drop
  15. season — in sport
  16. fork — in a road
  17. fall — the season
  18. chip — for betting

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