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: fine · key · saw · calf · content · capital · race · temple

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. race — a contest
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. capital — money
  7. key — the most important part
  8. key — in music
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. race — the arms race
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. fine — high quality
  17. saw — the tool
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. key — for a lock
  20. content — the amount
  21. race — humankind
  22. capital — a city
  23. fine — all right
  24. saw — the tool

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