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: board · lie · ground · capital · rush · dip · bound · object

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. capital — a city
  5. rush — hurry
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. object — to protest
  8. bound — certain
  9. dip — to sink
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. object — an aim
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. lie — to recline
  14. capital — money
  15. bound — tied together
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. board — to get on
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. ground — crushed
  20. bound — obliged
  21. object — a thing
  22. board — a committee
  23. ground — the earth
  24. dip — a sauce

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