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 120 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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. fall — the season
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. capital — a city
  6. pitch — completely
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. fall — to drop
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. content — happy
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. fall — to drop
  15. net — in sport
  16. wax — to grow
  17. net — after costs
  18. bulb — for light
  19. net — for catching
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. capital — money
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. content — the amount

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