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: ball · game · club · season · stick · present · content · bass

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. content — happy
  3. present — a gift
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ball — a great time
  7. present — the time now
  8. content — the amount
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. club — for dancing
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. club — a group
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. game — wild animals
  17. season — of the year
  18. bass — the fish
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. club — for golf
  22. game — a match
  23. season — in sport
  24. bass — low music

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