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 120 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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. content — happy
  4. kid — to tease
  5. bound — obliged
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bound — certain
  12. kid — child
  13. vault — a safe
  14. content — the amount
  15. stock — goods
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. stock — shares
  23. wake — a trail
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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