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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. last — to go on
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. fall — to drop
  6. content — the amount
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. bank — for money
  9. content — happy
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. sharp — clever
  13. last — finally
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. mine — for digging
  16. fall — the season
  17. last — final
  18. bank — for money
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bear — the animal
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. bear — the animal
  23. fine — high quality
  24. bank — of a river

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