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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. content — happy
  3. court — for sport
  4. board — a committee
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. rush — hurry
  7. court — of law
  8. bore — to drill
  9. mug — a cup
  10. content — the amount
  11. board — to get on
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. mug — a face
  14. land — ground
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. land — a country
  17. mug — to rob
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. court — of a king
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. pass — a permit
  24. bore — to tire

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