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: content · jam · temple · craft · deal · bound · racket · spring

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. craft — boats
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. content — the amount
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. craft — a skill
  7. spring — of water
  8. deal — to handle
  9. bound — obliged
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bound — certain
  16. content — happy
  17. spring — a coil
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. spring — the season
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. temple — side of the head

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