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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. pop — soda
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. clip — for paper
  6. dip — to sink
  7. season — in sport
  8. spell — magic
  9. squash — the sport
  10. rash — hasty
  11. rash — a series
  12. spell — a short time
  13. pop — music
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. clip — to cut
  16. pop — to visit
  17. content — happy
  18. spell — letters
  19. squash — to crush
  20. clip — a video
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. content — the amount

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