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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. content — the amount
  4. chip — to eat
  5. march — the month
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. content — happy
  8. object — to protest
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. chip — for betting
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. cap — of ice
  13. mate — a friend
  14. object — a thing
  15. mate — a partner
  16. cap — a lid
  17. mate — to breed
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. pound — a weight
  21. march — music
  22. object — an aim
  23. cap — a hat
  24. stem — to come from

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