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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. chest — of your body
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. tube — a container
  5. swing — in golf
  6. tube — the underground
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. swing — music
  11. swing — to play on
  12. stock — shares
  13. chest — of your body
  14. content — the amount
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. chest — a box
  17. file — a line of people
  18. file — a tool
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. stock — goods
  23. sharp — clever
  24. content — happy

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