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: pitch · racket · plane · capital · sharp · ball · foot · content

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. content — the amount
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. plane — a tool
  7. capital — a city
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. ball — a great time
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. ball — a dance
  16. content — happy
  17. pitch — completely
  18. foot — a measure
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. capital — money
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. sharp — clever
  24. content — videos and posts

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