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 · object · capital · bulb · ball · ground · arm · stick

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. ground — crushed
  3. capital — money
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. bulb — for light
  7. capital — a city
  8. object — a thing
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. object — an aim
  13. object — to protest
  14. ground — the earth
  15. lie — to recline
  16. ball — a great time
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. ground — a position
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. bulb — for light
  22. ball — a dance
  23. ball — a round shape
  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