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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  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. cue — a hint
  2. content — happy
  3. content — the amount
  4. suit — in cards
  5. capital — a city
  6. cue — for pool
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. cue — a signal
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. lean — thin
  11. capital — money
  12. suit — to fit
  13. tube — the underground
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. suit — clothes
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. tube — a container
  18. swing — music
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. swing — to play on
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. swing — in golf
  23. lean — to bend
  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