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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. chest — of your body
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. firm — a company
  5. firm — steady
  6. chest — of your body
  7. content — the amount
  8. key — in music
  9. board — a committee
  10. last — final
  11. board — to get on
  12. content — happy
  13. last — finally
  14. lie — to recline
  15. key — the most important part
  16. last — to go on
  17. season — of the year
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. chest — a box
  21. key — for a lock
  22. firm — decided
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. season — in sport

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