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 120 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 · court · kick · firm · ruler · cabinet · sharp · arm

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. firm — steady
  4. court — of a king
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. court — for sport
  9. firm — a company
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. sharp — clever
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. capital — money
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. kick — in football
  21. court — of law
  22. firm — decided
  23. ruler — for measuring
  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