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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. content — happy
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. content — the amount
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. file — a document
  8. squash — the sport
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. file — a line of people
  11. lie — to recline
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. ball — a dance
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. file — a tool
  17. squash — to crush
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. wound — an injury
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. ball — a great time

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