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 120 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: firm · content · saw · shower · fall · bear · swing · cell

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. swing — music
  3. bear — the animal
  4. firm — steady
  5. shower — rain
  6. firm — a company
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. swing — to play on
  9. bear — the animal
  10. firm — decided
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. fall — the season
  14. content — happy
  15. fall — to drop
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. shower — to wash
  18. fall — to drop
  19. swing — in golf
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. cell — in biology
  22. cell — a phone
  23. saw — the tool
  24. content — the amount

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