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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. content — happy
  3. capital — a city
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cue — a hint
  9. pitch — completely
  10. cue — for pool
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. object — to protest
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. deal — to handle
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. cue — a signal
  20. object — a thing
  21. object — an aim
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. content — the amount
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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