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: arm · pitcher · can · clip · cue · content · firm · bowl

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. content — the amount
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. content — happy
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. firm — decided
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. cue — a hint
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. clip — to cut
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. clip — a video
  14. can — to be able to
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — a tin
  20. clip — for paper
  21. firm — a company
  22. cue — a signal
  23. cue — for pool
  24. bowl — to roll

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