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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. tube — the underground
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. spell — magic
  6. firm — a company
  7. prune — to trim
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. firm — steady
  11. wind — moving air
  12. spell — letters
  13. content — happy
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. spell — a short time
  17. prune — to trim
  18. wind — moving air
  19. firm — decided
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. lie — to recline
  24. tube — a container

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