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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. content — the amount
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. stock — shares
  7. lie — to recline
  8. stock — goods
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. content — happy
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bound — certain
  13. bound — obliged
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. track — to keep track
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. snap — to click
  18. track — a song
  19. bound — tied together
  20. track — a path
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. content — videos and posts

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