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 120 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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. club — for dancing
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. pop — to visit
  5. content — happy
  6. club — a group
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. pop — music
  12. saw — the tool
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. game — a match
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. saw — the tool
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. club — for golf
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. pop — soda
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. content — the amount

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