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: squash · content · date · sharp · bear · season · net · stick

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. content — the amount
  5. net — after costs
  6. squash — the sport
  7. net — in sport
  8. date — the fruit
  9. content — happy
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. season — of the year
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. sharp — clever
  16. bear — the animal
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. squash — to crush
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. season — in sport
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. net — for catching

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