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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. fine — all right
  3. scale — in music
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. fine — high quality
  6. scale — size or range
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bass — low music
  11. content — happy
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. bore — to tire
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. content — the amount
  18. bass — the fish
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. wake — a trail
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. hide — to keep secret

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