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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. present — there
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. content — the amount
  6. mark — a trace
  7. wound — an injury
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. land — to come down
  10. content — happy
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. present — a gift
  17. wound — an injury
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. land — a country
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. land — ground
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. present — the time now

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