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 120 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 · court · cue · sharp · cap · stick · capital · rest

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. cap — of ice
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. court — of law
  7. sharp — clever
  8. capital — money
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. cue — a signal
  11. cue — a hint
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. cue — for pool
  14. rest — a break
  15. cap — a lid
  16. rest — what's left
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. content — happy
  19. capital — a city
  20. cap — a hat
  21. rest — what's left
  22. court — for sport
  23. content — the amount
  24. capital — a big letter

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