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: present · pop · capital · board · content · ground · charge · saw

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. pop — to visit
  3. ground — crushed
  4. ground — a position
  5. present — there
  6. charge — in control
  7. board — to get on
  8. capital — a city
  9. board — a committee
  10. pop — music
  11. saw — the tool
  12. present — the time now
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. content — the amount
  15. ground — the earth
  16. capital — money
  17. charge — electricity
  18. charge — a price
  19. saw — the tool
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. content — happy
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. present — a gift

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