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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. swing — music
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. club — for dancing
  5. swing — to play on
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. cell — in biology
  8. pop — soda
  9. last — final
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. pop — to visit
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. cell — a phone
  14. club — a group
  15. last — to go on
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bear — the animal
  18. content — the amount
  19. swing — in golf
  20. pop — music
  21. club — for golf
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. last — finally
  24. content — happy

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