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: march · hand · content · bowl · racket · prune · pit · mug

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. march — music
  3. content — happy
  4. mug — to rob
  5. hand — help
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. content — the amount
  11. pit — in a race
  12. mug — a cup
  13. pit — a hole
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. march — the month
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. prune — to trim
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. hand — in cards
  23. march — the month
  24. mug — a face

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