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: bore · kid · rule · present · capital · trunk · stick · court

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  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. present — a gift
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. rule — a law
  8. kid — child
  9. present — the time now
  10. rule — government
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. court — of a king
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. kid — to tease
  17. court — for sport
  18. capital — a city
  19. court — of law
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. bore — to tire
  22. present — there
  23. bore — to drill
  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