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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. wind — moving air
  6. mug — to rob
  7. prune — to trim
  8. chair — a leader
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. mate — a partner
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. deal — to handle
  13. mate — to breed
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. mug — a face
  16. staff — employees
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. mate — a friend
  19. content — happy
  20. staff — employees
  21. content — the amount
  22. wind — moving air
  23. prune — to trim
  24. staff — a stick

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