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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. net — in sport
  4. content — the amount
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. dip — to sink
  8. snap — to click
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. stock — goods
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. net — after costs
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. foot — a measure
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. stock — shares
  23. net — for catching
  24. stock — a soup base

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