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 116 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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. tube — a container
  3. wind — moving air
  4. tube — the underground
  5. ground — crushed
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. hand — help
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. content — happy
  11. hand — in cards
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. wind — moving air
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. bore — to tire
  18. ground — the earth
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bore — to drill
  22. saw — the tool
  23. wind — to turn a key
  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