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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. content — the amount
  3. content — happy
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. last — final
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. last — to go on
  11. cap — a lid
  12. spell — magic
  13. cap — of ice
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. mug — a face
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. cap — a hat
  18. spell — a short time
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. mug — to rob
  23. last — finally
  24. spell — letters

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