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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. mug — a cup
  4. prune — to trim
  5. craft — a skill
  6. mug — to rob
  7. craft — boats
  8. tear — from crying
  9. mug — a face
  10. degree — from a university
  11. board — a committee
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. tear — from crying
  14. content — happy
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. prune — to trim
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. degree — an amount
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. tear — to rip
  21. board — to get on
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. degree — temperature
  24. craft — a handicraft

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