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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. cold — an illness
  3. season — in sport
  4. content — the amount
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. fall — to drop
  8. chair — a leader
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. fall — to drop
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. season — of the year
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. snap — to click
  20. deal — to handle
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. fall — the season
  23. cold — not warm
  24. content — happy

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