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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. charge — a price
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. charge — in control
  8. court — of a king
  9. vault — a safe
  10. court — for sport
  11. pound — a weight
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. content — the amount
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. court — of law
  20. charge — electricity
  21. squash — the sport
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. squash — to crush
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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