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: safe · sharp · squash · court · fine · capital · kick · ground

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. squash — to crush
  3. kick — in football
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. ground — crushed
  8. capital — money
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. court — for sport
  11. squash — the sport
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. fine — high quality
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. fine — all right
  16. ground — the earth
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. court — of a king
  20. court — of law
  21. sharp — clever
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. ground — a position

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