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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. mine — for digging
  4. sharp — clever
  5. mug — a face
  6. content — the amount
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. chest — a box
  10. chest — of your body
  11. content — happy
  12. chest — of your body
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. stock — goods
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. cue — a signal
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. stock — shares
  21. mug — to rob
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cue — for pool
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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