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: sharp · root · kick · swing · capital · content · chest · rest

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. content — happy
  5. root — of a word
  6. root — of a plant
  7. swing — music
  8. content — the amount
  9. swing — in golf
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. root — the cause
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. rest — what's left
  14. capital — money
  15. sharp — clever
  16. capital — a city
  17. rest — a break
  18. swing — to play on
  19. chest — a box
  20. chest — of your body
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. rest — what's left
  24. kick — in football

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