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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. board — a committee
  3. cell — in biology
  4. court — for sport
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. capital — money
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. charge — electricity
  9. charge — in control
  10. court — of a king
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. content — the amount
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. court — of law
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. board — to get on
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. cell — a phone
  21. content — happy
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. sharp — clever
  24. charge — a price

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