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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. prune — to trim
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. snap — to click
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. dip — to sink
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. content — the amount
  15. stand — to bear
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. prune — to trim
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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