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 120 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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. stock — goods
  4. ground — a position
  5. content — the amount
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. ground — crushed
  10. pitch — completely
  11. ground — the earth
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. game — wild animals
  14. cell — in biology
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. cell — a phone
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stock — shares
  21. content — happy
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. game — a match

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