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 116 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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. wound — an injury
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. last — final
  7. charge — a price
  8. last — finally
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. content — happy
  12. content — the amount
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. wound — an injury
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. charge — in control
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. fork — in a road
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. charge — electricity
  24. fork — a garden tool

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