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 120 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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. content — the amount
  3. face — to confront
  4. swing — music
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. court — of law
  7. content — happy
  8. capital — money
  9. deal — to handle
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. swing — to play on
  13. face — to point toward
  14. swing — in golf
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. face — part of the head
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. court — for sport
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. court — of a king

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