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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. charge — in control
  4. content — happy
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. content — the amount
  7. field — farmland
  8. bear — the animal
  9. charge — electricity
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. field — for sport
  12. hand — help
  13. pound — a weight
  14. snap — to click
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. field — a subject
  18. charge — a price
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. bear — the animal
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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