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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. content — happy
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. club — for dancing
  6. press — to push
  7. club — a group
  8. press — newspapers
  9. mug — a face
  10. wind — moving air
  11. hand — in cards
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. hand — help
  15. club — for golf
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mug — a cup
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. wind — moving air
  22. content — the amount
  23. press — a publisher
  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