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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. branch — a division
  4. mug — a cup
  5. bore — to drill
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. bass — the fish
  8. degree — from a university
  9. wake — a trail
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. content — the amount
  14. bore — to tire
  15. mug — to rob
  16. degree — an amount
  17. content — happy
  18. mug — a face
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. degree — temperature
  21. face — part of the head
  22. bass — low music
  23. face — to point toward
  24. face — to confront

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