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 water is too ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. snap — to click
  5. content — the amount
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. toast — bread
  8. content — happy
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. root — of a word
  12. root — of a plant
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. root — the cause
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. cold — an illness
  24. ruler — a monarch

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