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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. saw — the tool
  3. content — the amount
  4. fall — to drop
  5. lie — to recline
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. fall — to drop
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. content — happy
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. mug — a face
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. file — a line of people
  14. sharp — clever
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. fall — the season
  17. mug — a cup
  18. season — of the year
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. saw — the tool
  21. file — a tool
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. season — in sport
  24. file — a document

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