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 116 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: squash · rash · capital · content · cap · fall · sharp · fine

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. squash — the sport
  3. capital — a city
  4. fine — all right
  5. squash — to crush
  6. rash — hasty
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. sharp — clever
  9. cap — a lid
  10. fall — the season
  11. content — the amount
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. cap — of ice
  15. fall — to drop
  16. content — happy
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fine — high quality
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. cap — a hat
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. capital — money

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