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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. chip — to eat
  6. foot — a measure
  7. band — a ring
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. content — happy
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. content — the amount
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. chip — for betting
  18. band — a music group
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. wake — a trail
  24. perch — the fish

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