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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. content — the amount
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. roll — a cake
  5. rest — a break
  6. rest — what's left
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. roll — a list
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. land — ground
  11. bear — the animal
  12. land — a country
  13. row — a line
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. bear — the animal
  17. row — to paddle
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. content — happy
  21. land — to come down
  22. rest — what's left
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. deal — to handle

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