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: chest · branch · capital · can · content · lie · bulb · court

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. capital — money
  3. bulb — for light
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. chest — of your body
  7. content — happy
  8. lie — to recline
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. chest — of your body
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. court — of law
  13. can — a tin
  14. branch — a division
  15. capital — a city
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. can — a tin
  18. content — the amount
  19. court — of a king
  20. chest — a box
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. court — for sport
  24. can — to be able to

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