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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. saw — the tool
  4. tube — the underground
  5. rest — what's left
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. cold — not warm
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. land — to come down
  11. content — the amount
  12. tube — a container
  13. pit — in a race
  14. saw — the tool
  15. rest — what's left
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. pit — a hole
  20. cold — an illness
  21. content — happy
  22. rest — a break
  23. land — ground
  24. land — a country

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