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: rush · patient · game · lie · calf · can · track · capital

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. game — a match
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. capital — money
  7. track — a path
  8. track — a song
  9. can — a tin
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. lie — to recline
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — to be able to
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. game — wild animals
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. track — to keep track
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. rush — hurry
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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