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: wound · cap · capital · bay · row · kid · rush · present

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. row — a line
  4. rush — hurry
  5. capital — money
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. cap — a lid
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. cap — a hat
  10. kid — child
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. present — a gift
  13. row — to paddle
  14. capital — a city
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. wound — an injury
  18. present — the time now
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. present — there
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. cap — of ice
  24. kid — to tease

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