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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. content — the amount
  3. net — for catching
  4. stand — to bear
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. present — a gift
  9. hand — help
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. present — the time now
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. hand — in cards
  17. present — there
  18. net — after costs
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. content — happy
  24. fan — to cool the air

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