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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. hand — in cards
  3. track — a song
  4. content — the amount
  5. pit — a hole
  6. mark — a grade
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. season — in sport
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. pit — in a race
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. mark — a trace
  14. swing — in golf
  15. hand — help
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. swing — music
  18. season — of the year
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. swing — to play on
  21. track — a path
  22. track — to keep track
  23. content — happy
  24. coach — a trainer

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