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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. cue — a hint
  3. wound — an injury
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rash — a series
  6. pit — in a race
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. cue — a signal
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. content — happy
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. pit — a hole
  14. content — the amount
  15. bank — for money
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. wound — an injury
  19. rash — hasty
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bank — for money
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. cue — for pool
  24. mine — for digging

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