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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. rock — a stone
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. scale — in music
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. fine — high quality
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. land — to come down
  10. land — ground
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. land — a country
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. scale — size or range
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. rock — music
  19. fine — all right
  20. content — the amount
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. kick — in football

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