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 116 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've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. dip — to sink
  3. content — happy
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. deal — to handle
  6. can — a tin
  7. mark — a trace
  8. mark — a grade
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. can — a tin
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. cold — not warm
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. content — the amount
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. can — to be able to
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. cold — an illness

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