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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. cell — a phone
  3. content — the amount
  4. pit — in a race
  5. content — happy
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. pit — a hole
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. staff — employees
  11. wound — an injury
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mug — a cup
  14. face — to confront
  15. face — to point toward
  16. cell — in biology
  17. mug — a face
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. face — part of the head
  20. staff — a stick
  21. mate — a friend
  22. staff — employees
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. mug — to rob

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