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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. swing — to play on
  3. content — happy
  4. kid — child
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. swing — music
  8. scale — size or range
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. scale — in music
  11. bound — tied together
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. cue — a signal
  14. deal — to handle
  15. kid — to tease
  16. swing — in golf
  17. cue — a hint
  18. content — the amount
  19. cue — for pool
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. fine — all right
  22. fine — high quality
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bound — certain

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