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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  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. swing — music
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. chest — of your body
  6. stock — goods
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. content — the amount
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. chest — a box
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. rush — hurry
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. stock — shares
  18. chest — of your body
  19. swing — to play on
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. swing — in golf
  22. wax — to grow
  23. bat — the animal
  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