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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. bound — obliged
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. content — the amount
  6. board — to get on
  7. race — humankind
  8. race — a contest
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wax — to grow
  11. board — a committee
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. bound — certain
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. toast — bread
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. bound — tied together
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. content — happy
  22. wound — an injury
  23. race — the arms race
  24. racket — a loud noise

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