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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  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. last — finally
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. content — the amount
  6. fine — all right
  7. face — to confront
  8. face — to point toward
  9. bass — low music
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. face — part of the head
  12. last — final
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. bass — the fish
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. fine — high quality
  19. last — to go on
  20. stock — shares
  21. wax — to grow
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. stock — goods
  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