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 124 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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. content — the amount
  3. mate — a friend
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. cell — in biology
  8. court — of law
  9. present — a gift
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. present — the time now
  12. mate — to breed
  13. sharp — clever
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. mate — a partner
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. court — of a king
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. cell — a phone
  22. court — for sport
  23. present — there
  24. content — happy

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