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 116 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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. ground — crushed
  3. ball — a great time
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. ground — the earth
  6. stem — to come from
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. key — the most important part
  9. hand — in cards
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. content — the amount
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. ball — a dance
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. key — in music
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. key — for a lock
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. hand — help
  22. deal — to handle
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. ground — a position

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