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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. band — a ring
  5. fine — all right
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. band — a music group
  8. fine — high quality
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. rest — what's left
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. content — happy
  16. ground — crushed
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. rest — a break
  19. content — the amount
  20. ground — a position
  21. rest — what's left
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. sharp — clever

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