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: land · bay · capital · track · lean · calf · kick · sharp

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. track — a song
  3. kick — in football
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. land — to come down
  6. land — a country
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. lean — thin
  9. land — ground
  10. track — to keep track
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. capital — money
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. lean — to bend
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. sharp — clever
  22. capital — a city
  23. track — a path
  24. sharp — exactly

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