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: capital · stand · roll · straw · stick · ground · rush · leaves

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. roll — a list
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. rush — hurry
  7. ground — crushed
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. capital — a city
  12. stand — to bear
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. ground — the earth
  15. roll — a cake
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. capital — money
  24. leaves — lets stay

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