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

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. charge — a price
  3. content — the amount
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. scale — in music
  7. rock — music
  8. bound — obliged
  9. foot — a measure
  10. fall — to drop
  11. mark — a grade
  12. bound — certain
  13. fall — the season
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. mark — a trace
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. fall — to drop
  19. charge — in control
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. bound — tied together
  23. scale — size or range
  24. charge — electricity

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