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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. game — a match
  4. content — happy
  5. lean — to bend
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. game — wild animals
  8. last — final
  9. pit — in a race
  10. bear — the animal
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. lean — thin
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. ball — a dance
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. content — the amount
  18. bear — the animal
  19. ball — a great time
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. last — to go on
  23. pit — a hole
  24. last — finally

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