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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. field — farmland
  4. cue — a hint
  5. content — happy
  6. cue — a signal
  7. game — wild animals
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. field — a subject
  10. cue — for pool
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. wound — an injury
  18. content — the amount
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. wound — an injury
  22. game — a match
  23. field — for sport
  24. plane — a tool

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