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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: content · snap · fine · chip · cell · sharp

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. cell — a phone
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. chip — to eat
  7. chip — for betting
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. fine — all right
  10. cell — in biology
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. fine — high quality
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. snap — to click
  17. sharp — clever
  18. content — the amount

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