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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. content — happy
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. net — for catching
  6. net — in sport
  7. spring — a coil
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. spring — of water
  11. net — after costs
  12. content — the amount
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. key — for a lock
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. key — the most important part
  20. key — in music
  21. spring — the season
  22. dip — to sink
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. rush — hurry

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