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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. rest — what's left
  3. present — there
  4. rest — a break
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. content — the amount
  8. last — final
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. last — to go on
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. present — the time now
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. bear — the animal
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. last — finally
  19. plane — a tool
  20. content — happy
  21. cell — in biology
  22. bear — the animal
  23. cell — a phone
  24. content — videos and posts

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