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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. content — happy
  4. file — a document
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. rock — a stone
  8. content — the amount
  9. wax — to grow
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. object — to protest
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. rock — music
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. file — a line of people
  17. file — a tool
  18. object — an aim

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