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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. object — a thing
  3. swing — music
  4. lean — thin
  5. swing — to play on
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bark — to shout
  8. rest — a break
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. lean — to bend
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. bear — the animal
  15. content — the amount
  16. object — an aim
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. swing — in golf
  19. bear — the animal
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. rest — what's left
  24. object — to protest

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