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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. season — of the year
  3. bank — of a river
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. march — the month
  6. spell — letters
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. pop — soda
  9. march — music
  10. march — the month
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — for money
  15. pop — music
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. hand — in cards
  18. content — happy
  19. hand — help
  20. spell — magic
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. spell — a short time
  23. season — in sport
  24. pop — to visit

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