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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. content — happy
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. march — the month
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. suit — in cards
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. march — the month
  12. content — the amount
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. scale — in music
  15. suit — to fit
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. hand — in cards
  18. march — music
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. hand — help
  21. suit — clothes
  22. scale — size or range
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. racket — for tennis

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