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 116 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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. march — the month
  3. deal — to handle
  4. mug — to rob
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. fine — all right
  7. snap — to click
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. mug — a face
  13. content — happy
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. march — music
  16. content — the amount
  17. scale — size or range
  18. scale — in music
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. mug — a cup
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. march — the month

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