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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. ground — a position
  3. pop — to visit
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. mine — for digging
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. firm — steady
  9. current — of water
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. ground — crushed
  12. content — the amount
  13. current — happening now
  14. firm — decided
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. current — electric
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. firm — a company
  19. pop — music
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. ground — the earth
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. pop — soda
  24. content — happy

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