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

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. present — there
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. mark — a trace
  5. game — wild animals
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. rock — a stone
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mark — a grade
  10. game — a match
  11. club — a group
  12. content — the amount
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. present — a gift
  16. club — for dancing
  17. present — the time now
  18. rock — music
  19. club — for golf
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. mouse — the animal

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