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: content · capital · arm · board · court · ground · tube · pit

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. capital — money
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. court — for sport
  5. pit — a hole
  6. board — to get on
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. ground — crushed
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. tube — the underground
  12. ground — a position
  13. board — a committee
  14. content — happy
  15. court — of a king
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. ground — the earth
  18. pit — in a race
  19. capital — a city
  20. content — the amount
  21. court — of law
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. arm — part of the body

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