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: club · pop · fork · content · object · ball · race · last

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. object — to protest
  3. content — the amount
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. last — to go on
  7. pop — music
  8. last — finally
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. race — humankind
  12. ball — a great time
  13. object — a thing
  14. fork — in a road
  15. object — an aim
  16. race — the arms race
  17. ball — a dance
  18. content — happy
  19. club — a group
  20. last — final
  21. club — for dancing
  22. race — a contest
  23. pop — soda
  24. pop — to visit

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