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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. content — happy
  4. ground — crushed
  5. kick — in football
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. net — for catching
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. branch — a division
  10. net — after costs
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. ground — a position
  13. ground — the earth
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. tear — to rip
  16. net — in sport
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. tear — from crying
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. content — the amount
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. tear — from crying
  24. branch — of a tree

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