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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. rest — what's left
  3. court — for sport
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bank — of a river
  6. capital — a city
  7. content — the amount
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. court — of law
  11. content — happy
  12. capital — money
  13. bank — for money
  14. staff — a stick
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. rest — what's left
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. dip — to sink
  19. court — of a king
  20. rest — a break
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — employees
  24. capital — a big letter

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