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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pass — a permit
  4. content — happy
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bear — the animal
  10. mate — to breed
  11. bear — the animal
  12. march — music
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. mate — a friend
  15. march — the month
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. content — the amount
  18. pit — in a race
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. mate — a partner
  21. march — the month
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. bear — to put up with

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