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: calf · bark · lie · lean · leaves · coach · capital · pitcher

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  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. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. capital — a city
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bark — to shout
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. lean — thin
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. lie — to recline
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. lean — to bend
  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