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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. chip — for betting
  3. deal — to handle
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. capital — a city
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pit — in a race
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. content — the amount
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. rock — a stone
  17. mine — for digging
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rock — music
  20. capital — money
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. chip — to eat
  24. leaves — of a tree

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