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

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. rush — hurry
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. mate — to breed
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. ball — a dance
  11. content — the amount
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. race — humankind
  17. content — happy
  18. ball — a great time
  19. mate — a friend
  20. race — the arms race
  21. mark — a grade
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. mark — a trace
  24. race — a contest

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