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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. content — the amount
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. game — a match
  7. tear — to rip
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. degree — from a university
  10. tear — from crying
  11. game — wild animals
  12. club — for dancing
  13. content — happy
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. degree — an amount
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. degree — temperature
  21. tear — from crying
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. club — a group
  24. club — for 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