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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. game — a match
  3. club — for dancing
  4. content — the amount
  5. fine — all right
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. club — a group
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. object — to protest
  11. object — an aim
  12. object — a thing
  13. craft — a skill
  14. craft — boats
  15. fine — high quality
  16. game — wild animals
  17. club — for golf
  18. content — happy
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. rash — a series
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. fine — a penalty

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