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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. chip — for betting
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. net — in sport
  5. wake — a trail
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bore — to drill
  8. kid — to tease
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. net — for catching
  13. bore — to tire
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. net — after costs
  16. lie — to recline
  17. capital — money
  18. kid — child
  19. content — the amount
  20. chip — to eat
  21. content — happy
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. capital — a city

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