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: lash · fork · capital · jam · ball · chair · content · present

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. content — the amount
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. chair — a leader
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. present — the time now
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. fork — in a road
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. ball — a dance
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. present — a gift
  20. ball — a great time
  21. present — there
  22. capital — a city
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. content — happy

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