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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. shower — rain
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. swing — music
  6. content — happy
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. staff — a stick
  11. swing — to play on
  12. staff — employees
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. swing — in golf
  15. staff — employees
  16. content — the amount
  17. shower — to wash
  18. kid — to tease
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. court — for sport
  21. kid — child
  22. court — of law
  23. court — of a king
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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