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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. hand — in cards
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. mug — a cup
  13. scale — in music
  14. content — happy
  15. capital — money
  16. hand — help
  17. bark — to shout
  18. mug — a face
  19. scale — size or range
  20. mug — to rob
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. content — the amount
  24. lash — to lash out

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