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: game · branch · mouse · object · court · cap · content · fine

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. cap — a lid
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. court — of a king
  5. court — for sport
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. game — a match
  9. court — of law
  10. fine — all right
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. object — an aim
  13. branch — a division
  14. content — happy
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. game — wild animals
  17. object — to protest
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. cap — a hat
  20. object — a thing
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. cap — of ice
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. fine — high quality

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