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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — a tin
  4. field — for sport
  5. cell — in biology
  6. can — to be able to
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. cell — a phone
  10. club — for golf
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — the fish
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. content — the amount
  16. field — a subject
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. club — for dancing
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. craft — a skill
  21. content — happy
  22. snap — to click
  23. field — farmland
  24. craft — boats

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