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: court · bore · field · bank · toast · capital · bear · object

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. bear — the animal
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. toast — bread
  6. court — for sport
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bore — to tire
  9. capital — money
  10. bank — for money
  11. field — for sport
  12. court — of a king
  13. capital — a city
  14. court — of law
  15. bank — of a river
  16. field — farmland
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. field — a subject
  20. bank — for money
  21. object — a thing
  22. object — an aim
  23. bore — to drill
  24. object — to protest

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