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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. content — happy
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. kid — child
  5. chest — of your body
  6. chest — a box
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. mark — a grade
  12. stock — shares
  13. kid — to tease
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bulb — for light
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. content — the amount
  20. bulb — for light
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. mark — a trace
  23. stock — goods
  24. chest — of your body

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