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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. chip — for betting
  4. bark — to shout
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. mine — for digging
  8. row — to paddle
  9. club — a group
  10. club — for dancing
  11. club — for golf
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bank — for money
  15. row — a line
  16. bank — for money
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. chip — to eat
  20. content — the amount
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. bank — of a river
  24. row — a quarrel

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