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: coach · wind · cabinet · chair · bound · calf · object · capital

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. wind — moving air
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. object — a thing
  5. capital — a city
  6. capital — money
  7. bound — tied together
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. wind — moving air
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. bound — obliged
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. object — an aim
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. object — to protest
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bound — certain
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. calf — a young animal

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