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: capital · mug · content · net · plane · press · foot · mine

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. mug — a face
  5. net — after costs
  6. press — newspapers
  7. mug — to rob
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. press — a publisher
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. foot — a measure
  12. net — for catching
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. capital — money
  15. press — to push
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. mug — a cup
  19. plane — a tool
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. content — happy
  22. content — the amount
  23. net — in sport
  24. capital — a city

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