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 · last · coach · charge · degree · spring · lean · fall

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. last — to go on
  4. fall — to drop
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. capital — money
  7. degree — from a university
  8. charge — in control
  9. last — finally
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. spring — a coil
  12. degree — an amount
  13. lean — thin
  14. last — final
  15. degree — temperature
  16. fall — to drop
  17. charge — a price
  18. spring — the season
  19. capital — a city
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. spring — of water
  22. charge — electricity
  23. fall — the season
  24. lean — to bend

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