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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. tube — the underground
  3. staff — employees
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. staff — a stick
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. pop — soda
  8. lean — thin
  9. cell — a phone
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pop — music
  12. cell — in biology
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. scale — in music
  16. scale — size or range
  17. content — the amount
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. lean — to bend
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. staff — employees
  22. wax — to grow
  23. tube — a container
  24. content — happy

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