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 120 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: game · leaves · capital · land · arm · pit · vault · ball

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. ball — a great time
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. ball — a dance
  6. land — ground
  7. land — to come down
  8. game — wild animals
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. vault — a safe
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. pit — in a race
  15. capital — money
  16. land — a country
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. pit — a hole
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. ball — a round shape
  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