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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. content — the amount
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. chip — for betting
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. cell — a phone
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. march — the month
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. content — happy
  16. chip — to eat
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. sharp — clever
  19. march — the month
  20. cell — in biology
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. march — music

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