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 · present · court · squash · cue · ground · file · last

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. cue — a hint
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. court — of a king
  6. present — a gift
  7. present — there
  8. file — a tool
  9. last — finally
  10. content — the amount
  11. last — final
  12. squash — to crush
  13. file — a line of people
  14. ground — a position
  15. cue — for pool
  16. court — for sport
  17. cue — a signal
  18. content — happy
  19. court — of law
  20. ground — crushed
  21. squash — the sport
  22. ground — the earth
  23. file — a document
  24. last — to go on

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