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 124 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: last · safe · capital · pound · spring · cap · fine · content

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. cap — a lid
  3. spring — a coil
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. spring — of water
  6. last — final
  7. capital — a city
  8. cap — a hat
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. fine — high quality
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. fine — all right
  15. spring — the season
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. cap — of ice
  18. content — the amount
  19. content — happy
  20. last — finally
  21. capital — money
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. last — to go on
  24. safe — a strongbox

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