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: hide · swing · cell · jam · saw · spell · content · bound

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. swing — in golf
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. bound — certain
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. saw — the tool
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. spell — magic
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. swing — music
  11. spell — a short time
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. cell — in biology
  14. cell — a phone
  15. spell — letters
  16. content — the amount
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bound — obliged
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. saw — the tool
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. swing — to play on
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. bound — tied together

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