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: nail · content · capital · charge · leaves · wound · bowl · bat

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. capital — money
  11. charge — in control
  12. charge — electricity
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. capital — a city
  16. content — the amount
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. content — happy
  19. bat — the animal
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. wound — an injury
  24. charge — a price

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