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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. content — the amount
  3. capital — money
  4. field — a subject
  5. net — after costs
  6. capital — a city
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. content — happy
  10. bank — of a river
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. net — in sport
  13. staff — employees
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. field — for sport
  16. staff — employees
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. bank — for money
  19. net — for catching
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. staff — a stick
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. bank — for money
  24. racket — for tennis

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