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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. season — of the year
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. content — the amount
  6. pit — a hole
  7. net — in sport
  8. pit — in a race
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. net — for catching
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. charge — a price
  14. net — after costs
  15. date — the fruit
  16. charge — electricity
  17. content — happy
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. season — in sport

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