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: lie · rest · calf · straw · net · capital · game · clip

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  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. clip — to cut
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. net — for catching
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. net — after costs
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. rest — what's left
  11. clip — a video
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. clip — for paper
  14. capital — a city
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. rest — what's left
  17. game — wild animals
  18. net — in sport
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. game — a match
  22. rest — a break
  23. lie — to recline
  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