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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. can — a tin
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. content — happy
  5. hand — in cards
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. file — a line of people
  8. object — a thing
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. ground — crushed
  11. file — a tool
  12. perch — the fish
  13. object — to protest
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. stem — to come from
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — to be able to
  20. ground — the earth
  21. hand — help
  22. file — a document
  23. content — the amount
  24. ground — a position

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