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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. content — happy
  4. swing — to play on
  5. mug — a cup
  6. content — the amount
  7. land — to come down
  8. swing — in golf
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. land — ground
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. swing — music
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. mug — to rob
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. prune — to trim
  22. mug — a face
  23. prune — to trim
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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