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 120 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: ball · degree · row · track · mouse · content · mug · lie

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. lie — to recline
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. content — the amount
  6. row — a line
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. row — to paddle
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. degree — from a university
  11. mug — to rob
  12. track — to keep track
  13. degree — an amount
  14. track — a song
  15. content — happy
  16. ball — a dance
  17. mug — a face
  18. ball — a great time
  19. degree — temperature
  20. mug — a cup
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. track — a path

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