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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. tear — from crying
  4. mate — a partner
  5. net — after costs
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. chest — a box
  11. tear — to rip
  12. content — happy
  13. chest — of your body
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. mate — a friend
  16. net — in sport
  17. tear — from crying
  18. pitch — completely
  19. bulb — for light
  20. net — for catching
  21. mate — to breed
  22. bulb — for light
  23. content — the amount
  24. chest — of your body

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