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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. date — the fruit
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. pound — a weight
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. content — the amount
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. squash — to crush
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. stand — to bear
  13. content — happy
  14. squash — the sport
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. net — in sport
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. net — for catching
  19. capital — a city
  20. capital — money
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. net — after costs
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — for light

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