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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. mate — a partner
  5. content — the amount
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. chair — a leader
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. content — happy
  14. object — to protest
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. mate — a friend
  17. object — an aim
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. bear — the animal
  20. pound — a weight
  21. object — a thing
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bear — the animal

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