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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. field — a subject
  4. can — to be able to
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. spring — the season
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. fine — high quality
  9. content — the amount
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. fine — all right
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. spring — of water
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. can — a tin
  21. field — farmland
  22. spring — a coil
  23. content — happy
  24. field — for sport

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