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: content · stick · cap · ball · land · pitch · lash · tear

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. pitch — completely
  4. land — ground
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. tear — from crying
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. ball — a great time
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. cap — of ice
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. tear — from crying
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. cap — a lid
  16. cap — a hat
  17. land — to come down
  18. ball — a dance
  19. tear — to rip
  20. content — the amount
  21. land — a country
  22. content — happy
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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