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 120 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: leaves · kid · capital · key · lean · land · firm · cell

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. capital — money
  4. firm — steady
  5. key — in music
  6. key — for a lock
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. firm — a company
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. cell — in biology
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — a country
  13. kid — child
  14. cell — a phone
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. key — the most important part
  18. firm — decided
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lean — thin
  22. land — ground
  23. capital — a city
  24. kid — to tease

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