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 · perch · dip · leaves · fine · squash · kid · capital

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  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. fine — high quality
  2. dip — to sink
  3. perch — the fish
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. capital — a city
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. kid — to tease
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. fine — all right
  15. kid — child
  16. capital — money
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. squash — to crush
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. squash — the sport
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. content — the amount
  23. leaves — lets stay
  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