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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. board — a committee
  4. present — a gift
  5. bound — tied together
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bound — certain
  9. present — the time now
  10. present — there
  11. content — the amount
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. cap — of ice
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. swing — in golf
  16. dip — to sink
  17. content — happy
  18. stock — shares
  19. board — to get on
  20. cap — a hat
  21. swing — music
  22. swing — to play on
  23. stock — goods
  24. cap — a lid

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