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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. bore — to tire
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. last — finally
  5. content — happy
  6. ball — a great time
  7. last — to go on
  8. last — final
  9. pound — a weight
  10. court — of law
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. court — of a king
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. bore — to drill
  15. mark — a trace
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. ball — a dance
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — a stick
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. content — the amount
  22. mark — a grade
  23. court — for sport
  24. staff — employees

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