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: leaves · dip · fall · capital · suit · ground · can · mug

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. fall — to drop
  3. suit — to fit
  4. can — to be able to
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. ground — a position
  7. can — a tin
  8. dip — to sink
  9. can — a tin
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. mug — to rob
  12. ground — the earth
  13. suit — in cards
  14. suit — clothes
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. ground — crushed
  17. fall — the season
  18. mug — a cup
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. mug — a face
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. capital — money
  24. fall — to drop

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