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: arm · content · fine · rest · capital · scale · foot · bowl

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. rest — a break
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. scale — in music
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. rest — what's left
  11. fine — all right
  12. fine — high quality
  13. foot — a measure
  14. content — happy
  15. rest — what's left
  16. capital — money
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. scale — size or range
  21. content — the amount
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. arm — part of the body

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