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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. chip — for betting
  4. last — to go on
  5. degree — temperature
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. degree — an amount
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. content — the amount
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. degree — from a university
  13. spell — magic
  14. pop — to visit
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. last — final
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. last — finally
  19. chip — to eat
  20. spell — a short time
  21. pop — soda
  22. spell — letters
  23. content — happy
  24. pop — music

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