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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bound — certain
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. perch — the fish
  5. ground — a position
  6. content — happy
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. court — of law
  9. ground — crushed
  10. toast — bread
  11. court — for sport
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. bound — obliged
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. mate — to breed
  17. snap — to click
  18. ground — the earth
  19. mate — a friend
  20. content — the amount
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. mate — a partner
  24. court — of a king

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