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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. face — part of the head
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. pit — in a race
  7. bound — tied together
  8. content — the amount
  9. race — humankind
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. pit — a hole
  13. face — to confront
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. bound — obliged
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. race — a contest
  19. perch — the fish
  20. content — happy
  21. race — the arms race
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. face — to point toward
  24. bound — certain

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