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 116 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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  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. net — for catching
  2. bear — the animal
  3. charge — electricity
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. net — after costs
  6. charge — in control
  7. court — of law
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. pop — soda
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. content — happy
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. hand — help
  15. content — the amount
  16. pop — to visit
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. court — for sport
  19. charge — a price
  20. net — in sport
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. court — of a king
  23. hand — in cards
  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