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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. mug — a cup
  4. net — after costs
  5. net — for catching
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. content — the amount
  8. content — happy
  9. mine — for digging
  10. bulb — for light
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wake — a trail
  13. chip — for betting
  14. net — in sport
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bulb — for light
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. mug — to rob
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. chip — to eat
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. mug — a face
  24. bulb — of a plant

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