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 · calf · safe · content · net · craft · vault · leaves

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. net — for catching
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. capital — a city
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. craft — a skill
  13. content — the amount
  14. capital — money
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. content — happy
  17. vault — a safe
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. net — in sport
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. net — after costs
  24. safe — out of danger

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