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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. pound — a weight
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. foot — a measure
  8. content — happy
  9. fork — in a road
  10. perch — the fish
  11. content — the amount
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. stand — to bear
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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