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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. foot — a measure
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pit — in a race
  6. club — for golf
  7. cell — in biology
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. chip — for betting
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. cell — a phone
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. chip — to eat
  15. track — to keep track
  16. club — a group
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. content — happy
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. club — for dancing
  21. content — the amount
  22. track — a path
  23. wax — to grow
  24. wax — for sculpting

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