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 116 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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. content — the amount
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cue — a hint
  8. content — happy
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stock — shares
  12. clip — for paper
  13. stand — to bear
  14. capital — money
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. cue — a signal
  18. stock — goods
  19. clip — a video
  20. clip — to cut
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. capital — a city
  24. racket — for tennis

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