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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. content — happy
  3. club — a group
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. club — for golf
  6. club — for dancing
  7. pop — music
  8. chip — to eat
  9. bark — to shout
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. pop — to visit
  13. last — to go on
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. pop — soda
  16. last — final
  17. content — the amount
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. chip — for betting
  20. last — finally
  21. hand — in cards
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. hand — help

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