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 124 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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. game — a match
  8. bass — low music
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. bass — the fish
  11. rock — music
  12. content — the amount
  13. can — a tin
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. track — a path
  17. track — a song
  18. game — wild animals
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. can — to be able to
  21. content — happy
  22. can — a tin
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. track — to keep track

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