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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. content — the amount
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. season — in sport
  5. root — of a plant
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. capital — a city
  9. toast — bread
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. season — of the year
  12. root — the cause
  13. capital — money
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rock — music
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. rock — a stone
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. fine — high quality
  22. root — of a word
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. content — happy

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