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

Word bank: lean · pitch · cell · rule · capital · hand · kick · staff

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. pitch — completely
  5. rule — a law
  6. hand — in cards
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. staff — a stick
  9. rule — government
  10. hand — help
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. kick — in football
  13. capital — a city
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. cell — in biology
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. staff — employees
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lean — thin
  21. staff — employees
  22. capital — money
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. kick — a thrill

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