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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  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. staff — employees
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. content — the amount
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. chip — to eat
  6. ground — crushed
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. chip — for betting
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. staff — employees
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. wax — to grow
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. fall — to drop
  18. ground — the earth
  19. ground — a position
  20. fall — the season
  21. saw — the tool
  22. fall — to drop
  23. staff — a stick
  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