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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. key — in music
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. key — for a lock
  7. degree — from a university
  8. content — the amount
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. degree — temperature
  11. chest — of your body
  12. degree — an amount
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. season — of the year
  15. rule — government
  16. content — happy
  17. wake — a trail
  18. chest — of your body
  19. season — in sport
  20. chest — a box
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. key — the most important part
  24. rule — a law

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