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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. ball — a dance
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — for money
  5. content — the amount
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. club — for dancing
  8. game — wild animals
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. content — happy
  11. swing — to play on
  12. game — a match
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. swing — music
  15. club — for golf
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. ball — a great time
  21. club — a group
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. bank — of a river
  24. swing — in golf

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