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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — a break
  3. bass — low music
  4. mug — a cup
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. content — happy
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. pit — a hole
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. mug — a face
  13. wind — moving air
  14. kick — in football
  15. rest — what's left
  16. wind — moving air
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. rush — hurry
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. mug — to rob
  22. pit — in a race
  23. bass — the fish
  24. content — the amount

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