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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. march — the month
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. march — music
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. spring — of water
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. spring — the season
  11. spring — a coil
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. plane — a tool
  14. stand — to bear
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. content — happy
  17. march — the month
  18. content — videos and posts

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