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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  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. content — happy
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. spring — of water
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. ground — the earth
  7. pit — in a race
  8. ground — crushed
  9. ground — a position
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. mark — a grade
  13. spring — the season
  14. land — to come down
  15. content — the amount
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. mark — a trace
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. spring — a coil
  22. land — ground
  23. pit — a hole
  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