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 120 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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. foot — a measure
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. wake — a trail
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. content — the amount
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rash — a series
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. row — to paddle
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. row — a line
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. snap — to click

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