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: fall · cap · content · saw · racket · hand · bound · firm

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. bound — obliged
  4. cap — a lid
  5. saw — the tool
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. hand — help
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. fall — the season
  10. bound — certain
  11. firm — decided
  12. bound — tied together
  13. fall — to drop
  14. firm — a company
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. cap — a hat
  17. saw — the tool
  18. firm — steady
  19. content — the amount
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. hand — in cards
  22. cap — of ice
  23. fall — to drop
  24. hand — part of the body

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