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 120 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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. content — the amount
  4. wound — an injury
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. current — of water
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. current — happening now
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. current — electric
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. pit — in a race
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. content — happy
  21. saw — the tool
  22. pit — a hole
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. season — of the year

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