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: coach · bound · board · game · stock · sharp · capital · kick

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. capital — money
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bound — obliged
  6. game — wild animals
  7. stock — goods
  8. stock — shares
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. game — a match
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. board — to get on
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. sharp — clever
  17. bound — tied together
  18. board — a committee
  19. bound — certain
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. capital — a city
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. kick — in football

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