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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. present — the time now
  3. content — the amount
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. firm — a company
  6. present — a gift
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. present — there
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. cell — in biology
  11. firm — decided
  12. can — a tin
  13. firm — steady
  14. can — to be able to
  15. wax — to grow
  16. shower — to wash
  17. shower — rain
  18. kick — in football
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. can — a tin
  22. cell — a phone
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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