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: date · pop · patient · deal · firm · arm · rule · content

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. deal — to handle
  3. firm — decided
  4. pop — music
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. rule — a law
  9. pop — soda
  10. rule — government
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. firm — a company
  15. firm — steady
  16. pop — to visit
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. content — the amount
  23. date — the fruit
  24. content — videos and posts

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