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 · foot · tear · row · lie · patient · kick · object

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. tear — from crying
  5. row — a line
  6. capital — money
  7. tear — from crying
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. kick — in football
  13. object — to protest
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. capital — a city
  16. object — a thing
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. tear — to rip
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. foot — a measure
  23. object — an aim
  24. row — to paddle

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