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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. capital — money
  3. mark — a trace
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — for light
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. race — a contest
  8. race — the arms race
  9. content — the amount
  10. court — of a king
  11. court — of law
  12. court — for sport
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. press — a publisher
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. press — to push
  20. press — newspapers
  21. mark — a grade
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. capital — a city
  24. race — humankind

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