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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. march — the month
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. cell — a phone
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. cell — in biology
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. deal — to handle
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. bear — the animal
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. content — happy
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — of a river
  18. march — music
  19. bear — the animal
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. bank — for money
  22. march — the month
  23. content — the amount
  24. hand — help

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