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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. net — in sport
  4. cap — a lid
  5. last — final
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. content — the amount
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. cue — a hint
  12. cue — a signal
  13. charge — electricity
  14. cap — a hat
  15. net — for catching
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. net — after costs
  18. cap — of ice
  19. cue — for pool
  20. content — happy
  21. last — to go on
  22. charge — in control
  23. last — finally
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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