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: snap · perch · fine · content · kid · jam · pitch · racket

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. kid — child
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. snap — to click
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. perch — the fish
  10. pitch — completely
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. content — happy
  15. kid — to tease
  16. fine — all right
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. fine — high quality
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. content — the amount
  24. racket — for tennis

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