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 120 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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. content — happy
  3. bear — the animal
  4. race — the arms race
  5. race — humankind
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. spring — of water
  8. content — the amount
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. race — a contest
  11. spring — a coil
  12. spring — the season
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mark — a trace
  16. bear — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mark — a grade

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