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 120 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: charge · capital · court · snap · spell · mug · cabinet · ground

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. capital — money
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. ground — crushed
  5. spell — magic
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. snap — to click
  9. spell — letters
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mug — a face
  12. charge — in control
  13. court — for sport
  14. charge — a price
  15. mug — a cup
  16. court — of a king
  17. charge — electricity
  18. capital — a city
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. court — of law
  21. spell — a short time
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. ground — the earth
  24. capital — a big letter

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