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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. land — ground
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. land — a country
  7. content — happy
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. bound — certain
  10. bound — obliged
  11. kid — to tease
  12. deal — to handle
  13. kid — child
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. sharp — clever
  16. land — to come down
  17. squash — to crush
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. content — the amount
  20. squash — the sport
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. bound — tied together
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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