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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. craft — a skill
  4. content — happy
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. ground — the earth
  7. chip — for betting
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. ground — a position
  10. spell — magic
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. can — a tin
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. spell — letters
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. content — the amount
  18. pitch — completely
  19. chip — to eat
  20. spell — a short time
  21. can — to be able to
  22. craft — boats
  23. can — a tin
  24. mouse — the animal

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