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 · chest · last · tube · band · squash · cabinet

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. chest — a box
  3. band — a music group
  4. capital — money
  5. tube — the underground
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. last — finally
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. chest — of your body
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. squash — the sport
  13. tube — a container
  14. content — the amount
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. band — a ring
  17. last — final
  18. content — happy
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. last — to go on
  21. capital — a city
  22. squash — to crush
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. chest — of your 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