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: swing · kick · pound · capital · foot · hide · mug · wound

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. capital — a city
  7. swing — music
  8. kick — in football
  9. swing — to play on
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. foot — a measure
  12. swing — in golf
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. pound — a weight
  16. mug — a cup
  17. mug — to rob
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. wound — an injury
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. mug — a face
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. capital — money

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