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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. can — a tin
  4. pitch — completely
  5. craft — boats
  6. fork — in a road
  7. rest — a break
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. craft — a skill
  10. object — a thing
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. object — an aim
  13. object — to protest
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. mine — for digging
  16. can — a tin
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. can — to be able to
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. rest — what's left
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. content — happy
  24. rest — what's left

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