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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bay · stick · degree · present · swing · content · wave · bound

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. swing — to play on
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. degree — an amount
  5. degree — from a university
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. degree — temperature
  9. content — happy
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. present — the time now
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. swing — in golf
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bound — certain
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. swing — music
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. bound — obliged
  20. content — the amount
  21. present — there
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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