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 · ground · game · cabinet · dip · pop · calf · fine

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. pop — soda
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. fine — high quality
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. fine — all right
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. ground — a position
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. game — a match
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. ground — the earth
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. pop — music
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. pop — to visit
  20. capital — a city
  21. ground — crushed
  22. capital — money
  23. dip — to sink
  24. game — wild animals

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