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: wake · bear · squash · cabinet · content · cap · rash · jam

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. content — happy
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cap — a lid
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. rash — a series
  9. bear — the animal
  10. squash — the sport
  11. wake — a trail
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. squash — to crush
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. cap — a hat
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. content — the amount
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cap — of ice
  21. bear — the animal
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. rash — hasty

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