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: object · nail · straw · cabinet · capital · spell · face · court

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. court — of law
  7. object — a thing
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. face — part of the head
  11. court — of a king
  12. court — for sport
  13. face — to point toward
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. spell — letters
  16. object — an aim
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. face — to confront
  20. object — to protest
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. capital — money
  23. spell — magic
  24. capital — a city

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