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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. sharp — clever
  3. bulb — for light
  4. content — happy
  5. court — of a king
  6. stock — shares
  7. bulb — for light
  8. content — the amount
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. foot — a measure
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. stock — goods
  15. court — for sport
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. hand — help
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. hand — in cards
  24. court — of law

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