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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. dip — to sink
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. season — of the year
  7. content — happy
  8. ground — a position
  9. content — the amount
  10. ground — crushed
  11. kid — child
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bore — to tire
  14. bore — to drill
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. kid — to tease
  18. ball — a great time
  19. bound — tied together
  20. ground — the earth
  21. bound — certain
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. ball — a dance

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