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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. capital — a city
  3. cue — for pool
  4. firm — steady
  5. march — the month
  6. march — music
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. season — of the year
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. deal — to handle
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. season — in sport
  14. firm — decided
  15. content — happy
  16. firm — a company
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. march — the month
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. capital — money
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. content — the amount
  23. cue — a signal
  24. calf — a young animal

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