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: lie · stock · staff · key · object · mate · spring · capital

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. mate — a partner
  4. staff — employees
  5. capital — a city
  6. key — the most important part
  7. key — in music
  8. object — a thing
  9. staff — a stick
  10. object — an aim
  11. key — for a lock
  12. mate — to breed
  13. lie — to recline
  14. stock — goods
  15. spring — of water
  16. staff — employees
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. spring — a coil
  19. capital — money
  20. stock — shares
  21. spring — the season
  22. mate — a friend
  23. object — to protest
  24. lie — an untruth

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