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: craft · content · net · bear · mouse · capital · land · cabinet

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. capital — a city
  3. bear — the animal
  4. net — in sport
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. craft — a skill
  7. net — after costs
  8. craft — boats
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. land — a country
  13. land — to come down
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. content — happy
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. content — the amount
  19. capital — money
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. land — ground
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. bear — the animal

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