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 120 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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mate — a friend
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. rush — hurry
  6. kick — in football
  7. bear — the animal
  8. mate — to breed
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. pass — a permit
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. bear — the animal
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. content — happy
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. content — the amount

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