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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. field — for sport
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pit — a hole
  8. field — a subject
  9. field — farmland
  10. spell — magic
  11. wake — a trail
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. content — happy
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. date — the fruit
  16. spell — a short time
  17. chair — a leader
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. pit — in a race
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. spell — letters
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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