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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. present — there
  3. tube — the underground
  4. key — the most important part
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. key — for a lock
  7. land — a country
  8. tube — a container
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. land — to come down
  11. present — the time now
  12. content — the amount
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. content — happy
  15. lean — to bend
  16. key — in music
  17. present — a gift
  18. band — a ring
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. lean — thin
  22. band — a music group
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. rush — hurry

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