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 124 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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. content — happy
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. mate — a partner
  6. club — for dancing
  7. tear — to rip
  8. tear — from crying
  9. game — a match
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. game — wild animals
  14. tear — from crying
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. content — the amount
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. club — for golf
  19. mate — a friend
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. mate — to breed
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. branch — a division
  24. club — a group

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