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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ball — a great time
  4. spell — a short time
  5. season — in sport
  6. ball — a dance
  7. bulb — for light
  8. spell — letters
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. season — of the year
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. spell — magic
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bulb — for light
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. content — the amount
  18. capital — money
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. capital — a city
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. content — happy

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