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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. mate — a friend
  4. perch — the fish
  5. rock — music
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. face — part of the head
  9. mark — a trace
  10. face — to confront
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. mark — a grade
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. pass — a permit
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. content — the amount
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. content — happy
  23. face — to point toward
  24. rock — a stone

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