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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. mate — to breed
  3. rock — a stone
  4. content — the amount
  5. march — the month
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. march — the month
  8. saw — the tool
  9. mate — a partner
  10. saw — the tool
  11. march — music
  12. rock — music
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. spell — magic
  19. spell — letters
  20. mate — a friend
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. spell — a short time

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