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 116 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: club · scale · stick · present · content · mark · pop · kick

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. mark — a grade
  4. club — for golf
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. pop — music
  7. pop — to visit
  8. content — happy
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. present — there
  11. club — a group
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. mark — a trace
  15. scale — in music
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. scale — size or range
  18. club — for dancing
  19. present — the time now
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. pop — soda
  22. content — the amount
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. kick — in football

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