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 · pop · ground · lash · face · bore · toast · last

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. pop — to visit
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. bore — to tire
  8. ground — the earth
  9. face — part of the head
  10. pop — music
  11. face — to point toward
  12. ground — a position
  13. last — final
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. ground — crushed
  16. capital — money
  17. pop — soda
  18. toast — bread
  19. face — to confront
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. capital — a city
  22. last — finally
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. last — to go on

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