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

Word bank: bank · ball · race · squash · fine · bark · content · track

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. squash — the sport
  3. content — happy
  4. track — a path
  5. squash — to crush
  6. ball — a dance
  7. fine — all right
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — of a river
  10. race — the arms race
  11. race — a contest
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. ball — a great time
  14. race — humankind
  15. bark — to shout
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. content — the amount
  18. bank — for money
  19. track — a song
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. track — to keep track
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. fine — high quality
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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