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: capital · kick · face · mark · net · present · sharp · wake

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. sharp — clever
  3. present — there
  4. capital — a city
  5. present — a gift
  6. face — to point toward
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. capital — money
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. face — to confront
  14. present — the time now
  15. wake — a trail
  16. net — in sport
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. kick — in football
  19. net — after costs
  20. mark — a trace
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. face — part of the head
  24. net — for catching

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