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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. ground — crushed
  4. face — part of the head
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. pitch — completely
  7. file — a tool
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. ball — a great time
  10. face — to point toward
  11. chip — for betting
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. face — to confront
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. file — a document
  16. content — the amount
  17. ground — the earth
  18. chip — to eat
  19. ground — a position
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. file — a line of people
  22. ball — a dance
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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