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: cap · fall · date · mate · root · capital · bear · sharp

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. fall — to drop
  4. cap — a hat
  5. root — of a word
  6. cap — a lid
  7. mate — a partner
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. capital — a city
  11. mate — a friend
  12. fall — to drop
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. root — of a plant
  15. sharp — clever
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. fall — the season
  21. date — the fruit
  22. root — the cause
  23. cap — of ice
  24. capital — money

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