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: present · pound · race · wound · season · straw · charge · capital

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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. straw — dry grass
  4. charge — electricity
  5. race — the arms race
  6. charge — in control
  7. capital — money
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. charge — a price
  10. pound — a weight
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. present — there
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. present — the time now
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. race — humankind
  18. capital — a city
  19. season — of the year
  20. present — a gift
  21. season — in sport
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. wound — an injury
  24. race — a contest

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