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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. bound — certain
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. bound — obliged
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. mark — a trace
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mine — for digging
  18. season — of the year
  19. toast — bread
  20. bound — tied together
  21. season — in sport
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. rush — hurry
  24. content — the amount

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