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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. ball — a dance
  3. chip — for betting
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. spring — a coil
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bore — to drill
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. spring — the season
  14. content — happy
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. chip — to eat
  17. ball — a great time
  18. content — the amount
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bat — the animal
  21. scale — in music
  22. spring — of water
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. scale — size or range

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