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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. content — happy
  5. snap — to click
  6. charge — a price
  7. content — the amount
  8. field — farmland
  9. field — a subject
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. charge — in control
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. chest — of your body
  16. charge — electricity
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. chest — a box
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. chest — of your body
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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