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 124 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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. land — a country
  3. mark — a grade
  4. wake — a trail
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. mark — a trace
  10. content — happy
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. board — a committee
  14. board — to get on
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. content — the amount
  19. land — to come down
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. land — ground
  22. mine — for digging
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. mark — to pay attention

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