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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mark — a trace
  5. wind — moving air
  6. bear — the animal
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. bear — the animal
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. net — for catching
  13. chair — a leader
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. mate — to breed
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. net — in sport
  18. net — after costs
  19. fine — high quality
  20. fine — all right
  21. wind — moving air
  22. mark — a grade
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. chair — a professorship

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