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 116 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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. content — happy
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — an injury
  6. cold — not warm
  7. suit — clothes
  8. pass — a permit
  9. suit — in cards
  10. sharp — clever
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. content — the amount
  13. fork — in a road
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. suit — to fit
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. cold — an illness
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. pass — to succeed

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