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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. net — for catching
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. content — happy
  7. net — in sport
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. plane — a tool
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. net — after costs
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. saw — the tool
  17. content — the amount
  18. ball — a great time

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