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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. mug — a face
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. degree — from a university
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. row — a line
  11. mate — a friend
  12. row — to paddle
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. mate — to breed
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. degree — an amount
  17. mug — a cup
  18. content — happy
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. content — the amount
  21. degree — temperature
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. mug — to rob

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