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: dip · capital · net · ground · bound · racket · race · content

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bound — certain
  5. capital — a city
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. content — the amount
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. content — happy
  12. ground — crushed
  13. race — humankind
  14. capital — money
  15. net — for catching
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. net — in sport
  19. race — a contest
  20. ground — a position
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. dip — to sink
  23. net — after costs
  24. ground — the earth

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