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: content · wake · present · pitcher · capital · chair · kick · cabinet

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. kick — in football
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. present — there
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. capital — a city
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. present — the time now
  14. content — the amount
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. wake — a trail
  17. present — a gift
  18. capital — money
  19. chair — a leader
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. content — happy
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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