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

Word bank: capital · staff · press · clip · fall · key · bore · content

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. bore — to tire
  3. clip — to cut
  4. clip — for paper
  5. key — in music
  6. key — the most important part
  7. clip — a video
  8. bore — to drill
  9. press — newspapers
  10. fall — the season
  11. fall — to drop
  12. press — to push
  13. staff — employees
  14. key — for a lock
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. capital — money
  17. capital — a city
  18. fall — to drop
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. staff — employees
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. press — a publisher
  23. staff — a stick
  24. content — the amount

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