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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. race — a contest
  4. rash — hasty
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. roll — a list
  7. dip — to sink
  8. race — humankind
  9. mate — to breed
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. race — the arms race
  12. mate — a friend
  13. rash — a series
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. mate — a partner
  17. content — the amount
  18. wound — an injury
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. roll — a cake
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. content — happy

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