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 water is too ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. net — for catching
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. bank — for money
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. foot — a measure
  10. net — in sport
  11. toast — bread
  12. cold — an illness
  13. bank — of a river
  14. plane — a tool
  15. bank — for money
  16. content — happy
  17. net — after costs
  18. content — the amount
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. sharp — clever

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