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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. content — the amount
  3. land — to come down
  4. wound — an injury
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. wound — an injury
  9. land — a country
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. mug — a face
  13. season — in sport
  14. mug — to rob
  15. season — of the year
  16. content — happy
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. mug — a cup

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