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: squash · drill · charge · capital · swing · content · court · safe

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. charge — electricity
  3. swing — music
  4. squash — the sport
  5. squash — to crush
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. swing — to play on
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. swing — in golf
  11. content — the amount
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. charge — in control
  14. drill — a practice
  15. capital — money
  16. drill — the tool
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. court — of a king
  19. court — of law
  20. drill — army training
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. court — for sport
  23. content — happy
  24. charge — a price

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