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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. sharp — clever
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. field — farmland
  5. cell — in biology
  6. firm — steady
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. field — a subject
  9. firm — a company
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. rush — hurry
  13. staff — employees
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. cell — a phone
  16. staff — a stick
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. staff — employees
  19. deal — to handle
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. firm — decided
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. field — for sport
  24. content — happy

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