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 116 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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. suit — to fit
  4. mark — a trace
  5. row — to paddle
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. mark — a grade
  8. content — happy
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. row — a line
  12. pit — in a race
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rash — a series
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. cold — not warm
  18. pit — a hole
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. wax — to grow
  21. suit — clothes
  22. suit — in cards
  23. content — the amount
  24. cold — an illness

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