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: arm · last · pit · mug · bank · jam · pitcher · content

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. mug — a cup
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. mug — to rob
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. bank — of a river
  9. last — to go on
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. pit — in a race
  12. bank — for money
  13. last — finally
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. content — the amount
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bank — for money
  18. pit — a hole
  19. last — final
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. mug — a face
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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