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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. content — the amount
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pitch — completely
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. wind — moving air
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. present — a gift
  11. present — the time now
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. staff — employees
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. wind — moving air
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. content — happy
  22. plane — a tool
  23. staff — a stick
  24. present — there

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