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: pass · content · march · game · present · cap · fan · land

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. game — a match
  3. content — happy
  4. present — the time now
  5. content — the amount
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. march — music
  9. present — a gift
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. cap — a lid
  12. march — the month
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. march — the month
  15. land — to come down
  16. cap — of ice
  17. cap — a hat
  18. land — ground
  19. pass — a permit
  20. game — wild animals
  21. present — there
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. pass — to succeed

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