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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. pit — a hole
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. file — a tool
  8. content — the amount
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. content — happy
  11. date — the fruit
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. file — a document
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. file — a line of people
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. pit — in a race
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. sharp — clever
  24. coach — a trainer

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