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: dip · mouse · content · cold · court · bank · prune · racket

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. bank — for money
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. cold — not warm
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. cold — an illness
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. court — of a king
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. content — the amount
  15. bank — of a river
  16. prune — to trim
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bank — for money
  19. dip — to sink
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. content — happy
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. court — of law
  24. prune — to trim

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