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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. squash — to crush
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. rush — hurry
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. capital — a city
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. content — the amount
  9. stand — to bear
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. dip — to sink
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. bore — to drill
  16. capital — money
  17. bore — to tire
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. squash — the sport
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. rush — to hurry

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