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: content · capital · file · bear · foot · toast · squash · nail

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. bear — the animal
  4. file — a document
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. squash — to crush
  9. foot — a measure
  10. bear — the animal
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. toast — bread
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. capital — money
  16. content — happy
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. content — the amount
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. capital — a city
  21. file — a line of people
  22. squash — the sport
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. squash — the vegetable

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