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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. board — to get on
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. board — a committee
  6. ground — a position
  7. rock — a stone
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. ground — the earth
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. content — the amount
  14. file — a line of people
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. rock — music
  19. ground — crushed
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. file — a document
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. file — a tool

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