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 · fan · lean · lie · object · drill · board · ground

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. lean — to bend
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. lean — thin
  6. board — a committee
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. capital — money
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. lie — to recline
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. object — an aim
  14. board — to get on
  15. ground — a position
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. ground — the earth
  18. drill — the tool
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. object — to protest
  21. drill — army training
  22. object — a thing
  23. ground — crushed
  24. capital — a city

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