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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. chair — a leader
  4. bore — to tire
  5. content — the amount
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bore — to drill
  10. cap — of ice
  11. club — for dancing
  12. cap — a hat
  13. net — after costs
  14. club — for golf
  15. kid — to tease
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. net — in sport
  19. club — a group
  20. net — for catching
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. cap — a lid
  23. content — happy
  24. kid — child

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