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 · mate · content · rush · present · stick · kid · face

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. content — happy
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. present — a gift
  6. mate — a partner
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. present — the time now
  9. face — part of the head
  10. content — the amount
  11. face — to point toward
  12. mate — a friend
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. present — there
  15. face — to confront
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. mate — to breed
  19. kid — child
  20. pass — a permit
  21. rush — hurry
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. rush — a thrill

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