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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. pit — a hole
  3. content — the amount
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. pitch — completely
  6. clip — for paper
  7. content — happy
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. bear — the animal
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. rule — a law
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. dip — to sink
  21. clip — to cut
  22. pit — in a race
  23. clip — a video
  24. rule — government

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