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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. content — happy
  4. deal — to handle
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. rest — a break
  7. dip — to sink
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. content — the amount
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. rest — what's left
  17. wax — to grow
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. wake — a trail
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. rest — what's left

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