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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. spell — magic
  3. mine — for digging
  4. content — the amount
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. stem — to come from
  10. chip — to eat
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. chip — for betting
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. saw — the tool
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. spell — letters
  21. saw — the tool
  22. content — happy
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. spell — a short time

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