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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. swing — to play on
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. mate — a friend
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. mate — to breed
  9. swing — music
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. content — happy
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. wax — to grow
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. swing — in golf
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. mate — a partner
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. content — the amount
  24. pass — to succeed

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