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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. chair — a leader
  3. club — for dancing
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. march — the month
  6. club — for golf
  7. content — happy
  8. march — the month
  9. fork — in a road
  10. scale — size or range
  11. dip — to sink
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. scale — in music
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. club — a group
  17. content — the amount
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. content — videos and posts

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