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 120 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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. tear — from crying
  4. content — happy
  5. mate — a friend
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. net — after costs
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. fine — all right
  10. net — for catching
  11. mark — a grade
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. fine — high quality
  15. net — in sport
  16. mark — a trace
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. content — the amount
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. mate — a partner
  22. tear — from crying
  23. tear — to rip
  24. mate — to breed

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