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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. mug — a face
  4. mug — to rob
  5. land — to come down
  6. can — to be able to
  7. pass — a permit
  8. can — a tin
  9. snap — to click
  10. tear — from crying
  11. deal — to handle
  12. land — a country
  13. land — ground
  14. content — happy
  15. tear — to rip
  16. tear — from crying
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. mug — a cup
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. content — the amount
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. can — a tin

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