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 · wound · rash · sharp · rest · track · face · can

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. face — to confront
  3. rest — a break
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rash — hasty
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. can — a tin
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. face — to point toward
  10. wound — an injury
  11. track — to keep track
  12. rest — what's left
  13. can — to be able to
  14. track — a song
  15. capital — a city
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. wound — an injury
  18. face — part of the head
  19. can — a tin
  20. rash — a series
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. capital — money
  23. sharp — clever
  24. track — a path

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