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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. track — a path
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. fine — all right
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. rock — music
  8. pitch — completely
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. season — in sport
  13. track — a song
  14. track — to keep track
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. season — of the year
  17. fine — high quality
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. content — happy
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. rock — a stone

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