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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. file — a line of people
  6. bulb — for light
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. chair — a leader
  9. file — a document
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. content — happy
  13. file — a tool
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. craft — a skill
  18. plane — a tool
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. foot — a measure
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. craft — boats
  23. bulb — for light
  24. content — the amount

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